Yuffie and the Beast
by Falling rain
Summary: Very loosely based on the fairytale. Set in an AU FFVII world, Yuffie is forced to go to Nibelheim’s dark mansion as a servant to its mysterious owner. Yuffie being Yuffie, we all know that nothing will stand in her way, servant or not!
1. Chapter 01

My take on the classic fairytale. Set in an AU that is still the FF world, what if Yuffie was forced to go to Nibelheim's dark mansion as a servant to the lord there? Yuffie being Yuffie, we all know that nothing will stand in her way, servant or not! (T rating because selling your children ain't cool.)

**AN: **I'm not sure if this has been attempted before, but I decided to write this one day out of the blue. So here is my first foray into the Yuffentine realm!

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**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter One** _in which Yuffie is sold and she meets her new employer and owner._

* * *

I realise I hated him then. That very moment, his hand poised above the sheet, pen clasped tightly. He signs the contract, sealing my fate and there is a smile of relief on his face.

He has sold me. Sold me for a measly five hundred million gil, to cover up the debts that he had amassed, to save _his _honour, so that he would not be remembered as the leader who bankrupted Wutai. I sneer a little. Instead, he is now the leader who has nobly sacrificed his heir, his _daughter, _to ensure that Wutai will be able to bear her head with honour among the larger and richer nations.

I hate him, but I cannot blame him. All that money he has spent and lost, all of it had been on an insane quest, a puff of smoke he tried so eagerly to reach and make real. _He had tried to bring the dead back to life_. I laugh bitterly but also with some regret, for he had been seeking ways to resurrect my mother. For this, I can almost forgive him, almost forgive the fact that when I lost my mother, I lost my father too as he fell into insanity, where he began his fruitless search to cheat the grave and steal her away from Death's embrace. For too long, he had been in the grip of this lunacy and when he finally finally came to his senses, it was too late. This five hundred million gil that he is selling me for is hardly even an eighth of the sum that his madness has cost Wutai, but it is a start.

To be sure, I could have denounced him. I could tear the veil away from the eyes of the people, start a coup, overthrow him and become Lady Kisaragi, Ruler of Wutai, but I do not. For one, I love Wutai, and I am forced to admit, the people love and respect my father in a way they do not love and respect me. I am the White Rose of Wutai, but more often than not, I hear myself whispered as the _Wild _Rose instead, the lady heir who flouted tradition, the crazy ninja girl who was a disgrace to her family, a burden on her long suffering father. The younger generation adore me but the old ones, the ones with the real power – they see me as an empty headed chick, only capable of squawking my head off and making a whole load of noise, unable to rule. I am desperate to prove them wrong, seething in anger at the injustice of it all, and had I time, I would have been able to prove to those old fogies that I could be as good and even better than Godo by far. However, doing so now would only split my already weak country into civil war, and the rich vultures hovering around would have no hesitation to swoop in to feed upon our carcasses after our own decimation. I will choose not dethrone my father and shame him publicly because this will be my last act of filiality. He may have forgotten our bonds of blood but I owe this to my mother. With this I can finally severe my ties with him, and I will owe him nothing.

As I leave Wutai with the escort of an armed guard (my father knows me and my skill with weaponry too well and he will take no chances on so lucrative a deal), I try to drink in all the sights of my beloved city. For all I know, this may be the last time I ever see it.

It is not as if I had not tried to resist Wutai's descent to the depths that it wallows in now. When my father's madness had reached its height, I had long begun protesting as much as I could without shaming him inadvertently–

Let me start again. Gawd, that earlier part was too stiff and totally not me. I blame Vincent, he was _supposed _to be taking everything down word for word, but of _course_ he has to try to make everything sound bigger and grander and use words likes "inadvertently" and "filiality". Anyway, jumping ahead of myself there. You haven't even met Vincent yet!

As I was saying, Wutai was pretty messed up, Godo had screwed up, and there was only me, the Great Ninja Yuffie left to save the day. So he sold me and I hated him. That's all there is.

Oh yeah, the letter. The one from Hojo. It was all crap and all creepy like Hojo always is and NOT ONE MOMENT did I believe a word of it –

(There are several blots on the paper here as if a pen has been fought over and dropped several times as the combatants struggle for control.)

Hah! Quick fingers and quicker elbows! You always forget that lesson Vinnie. I see I didn't teach you well enough. We're losing the plot here, so yes, the letter. Hojo wrote, offering to pay five hundred million gil in exchange for the lovely Wutaian princess.

I'm getting nagged about historical accuracy and other stuff, so here, Hojo's letter, word for slimy word, exactly as that git wrote.

_Lord Kisaragi,_

_We are both worldly men and thus I will forge ahead with no preamble or supposed delicacy of feeling that so many falsely treasure. Your country, or rather, _you _are in debt. _I _am a man of considerable means and am willing to provide the funding that you desperately require. All that I ask of you is this: your daughter, the lovely Lady Kisaragi. Her repute has spread far and wide, and I know her to be charming, lively, well trained in several forms of martial arts, talented in the ways of materia and most importantly, a girl with the stomach to handle danger and unusual circumstances. I am of particular need of a woman of that mold, of a reasonably young age, but with another important prerequisite: the ability to speak Wutaian. A delicate Wutaian blossom that your glorious nation normally produces would never do; I need a hardy mountain bloom, and your daughter is one of the rare breed that fulfils all these conditions. I do hasten to inform you that there is nothing sinister in my interest, I merely wish for her to become caretaker, nursemaid and dare I hope, _friend _to my young, invalid son. It is through rather complicated circumstances that he requires a companion such as I have described, but as it is, I am unable to be entirely candid, making circumspection necessary. Let me assure you once again that we bear you and your offspring no ill. An agreement would be fortuitous for both parties and I look forward to your favourable reply. Once that is sent, we will work out the tedious little details that are unfortunately important, but I for one am anticipating welcoming your daughter to my mansion in Nibelheim where she will take residence, and as befits one of her gentle birth, she will receive the same treatment my son does. _

The letter had been signed with a neat 'Hojo' and before I know it, I have already been callously sold away.

Oh of course my old man pretended to make a big fuss about it, I think he even _cried _to show the masses how sorry he was and what a huge sacrifice he was making for the good of Wutai. His popularity ratings, instead of dipping, took a huge leap up instead. Wutaians love the noble man who is willing to put his country before anything.

I clench my fists, too angry to say a word as I step onto the pukemachine that I am riding on out of Wutai, away from this beautiful land that has been my home for the past sixteen years. However, as we take to the air, my mind is occupied with other things. Airships are the bane of my life. I cannot step onto one without my insides reacting automatically, discharging all their contents recklessly. This time it is no different.

"Oh ^#%!" the dishwater blonde captain greets me. "The #$^& chunder monkey of Wutai."

"And ^$%& right back at'cha!" I tell him, between dry heaves and clasping my poor tortured gut. I've flown on this bag of bolts a few times when escaping Wutai and have a passing acquaintance with the chain-smoking captain. Foul-mouthed, but all gooey and soft inside. Cid's a good man. I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I look up, twisting my mouth a little at the bitter-sour taste in my mouth from all my vomit. Gawd, that man's eyes are _sympathetic. _I react immediately, pushing him away.

"Hey, I'm sorry. Heard about it. $#% hate to bring you there. You know what? One ^%$# word of abuse, you send for me, I'll come bring you out, &%$# trust be hanged!" he scowled down at me.

I lightly punch him on the shoulder. "Cid Highwind, you're a $#%& good man." I can't help it, his language is _catching. _And I turn away so that he can't see me cry. No one has seen me cry in years, not since my mother passed on to the cold embrace of the great Leviathan, and that ain't gonna change.

He stands by me for a few more moments and moves away to take care of the flying of that ship. I return to spilling my guts. Literally.

Seconds, minutes, hours later, I'm outside the gates of a full blown haunted mansion. Well, even if it isn't haunted, it is just crying out for a spectre to take residence in it. Not the nice friendly ghost that walks around and shakes its chains and frightens your unwelcome guests. No, the ghost that should haunt it would be insidious and bloody and once you're in its grasp you will never escape…

But here I go off tangent again. Let me get back to where I was. I am now before the **MANSION OF DOOM. **I see it in big bold words in my head when I think about it, and its appearance does little to relieve my doubts. I'm unsure if I should go in or not, there isn't a bell or anything in sight, the grounds are overrun and filled with unkempt vegetation, the house itself looks dilapidated, and if this guy is as rich as he is posing himself to be _why are the sidewalks all cracked, the paint all peeling and the gates rusty?_

"Kisaragi Yuffie." The voice is cold, but it is a while longer before I learn the true coldness of this man, the emptiness that he contains. But for now, I know nothing, and so though his voice sense shivers down my spine, I think nothing of it.

"Hojo right?" I mutter, taking in his greasy longish hair that has a really gross tint of green to it, his glasses, his neat lab coat that he wears over brown trousers, the slight smirk of his face and his eyes. His eyes are the scariest part of him, they are the colour that can only be called dishwater brown, but the malice, the angry and the two sparks of insanity that I see deep deep down, those are what characterises the man that stands before me. "Well, where's your brat that I'm supposed to be taking care of?" This man may technically own me, but nothing in the contract states that I have to be polite.

He does not seem to notice my rudeness and just opens the gate with a key, motioning for me to follow. I do as he wishes, for now, clasping my bag that contains all my important earthly possessions, falling in pace behind him, stealing surreptitious glances at him when I can.

As I walk, I wonder about him, I wonder about his son, and most of all I wonder, what the #$%^ am I doing here.

* * *

**AN:** I don't remember what monsters were there in the Nibelheim mansion since I last played FFVII yoinks ago, so I will be making up my own. I should also add that the Nibelheim mansion is a hazy memory in my head and so its structure and layout as in this fic is purely fictional. Ladeeda. This story was actually supposed to be really different, and Hojo wasn't supposed to be in it at all, but he forced himself in somehow. Anywho, do click that button down there and review! I want to know if this is worth continuing :D

_Sneak summary of next chapter: Yuffie meets Vincent! WHOOHOO. _


	2. Chapter 02

Since Yuffie has taken over the pen forcibly, there's going to be no more fighting. He's a bit too dignified to snatch it from her too many times. :D

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**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter Two **_in which we meet Vincent and Yuffie goes on her quest for chocolate._

* * *

Somehow walking seems to have been loosened Hojo's tongue a little, as he begins to speak as we head into the gloomy old place.

"As you may have gathered Kisaragi_-san_," he starts, still striding forward, "The boy is a rather unusual one. Seeing that you are now his caregiver, you might run into trouble on account of his strangeness, but he is tractable enough. The _illness _that he suffers is debilitating, but should be of no concern to you. He currently speaks Wutainese exclusively; you will be required to teach him to read and write in Common. Other than that, keep him entertained, watch over him and report any unusual happenings to me. You are allowed free run of the mansion and the village. _You _are a Wutaian princess, and so I know that you understand the meaning of discretion."

I can barely take in the meaning of his words because of the language they are delivered in. All this is in fluent Wutaian and only a slight accent betrays him as a non-native speaker.

"The boy lives here," he announces, lapsing back into Common, waving a casual hand in the general direction of the mansion. "As will you. You may be happy to know that the both of you are the only inhabitants of the mansion. It is equipped with basic commodities, if you wish to cook, there are supplies and a kitchen. If that is beyond you, you may order meals from the inn in the village as I have been doing for the boy."

Once again I am distracted away from his words as more pressing matters clamour for my attention. My body is already automatically on alert, product of having spent many years in the wilderness in the time I was trying to escape the mantle of the Lady of Wutai. I reach for the Conformer that is always slung on my back, glad that I have slotted some of my more powerful materia into it this morning. Even as I do this, I level a glare of incredulity and anger at the man calmly walking before me. _The scent in the air, the talon marks on the pillars, the torn up vegetation, the muffled roars…_This place is _filled _with monsters. How can he leave his _child _somewhere in there? _Alone?_

"Undoubtedly you are wondering, what sort of inhuman father would leave any of his precious offspring in a place like this?" He pauses to look at me. "The very same sort of father who would sell his daughter away to cover for his own mistakes." I start.

_Is he some sort of _mind reader? Hojo chortles, and turns around to continue walking, but my blood has turned to ice in my veins. If he had meant for that obvious gibe to wound me, he has succeeded. But no way am I going to let him know it.

"Your son is probably a freak like you. Such a big monster that they recognise you as one of their own," I say as coolly as I can, watching him for a reaction.

Somehow my words don't seem to affect him the slightest. He stops and glances over his shoulder at me, the corner of his lips quirked up in a humourless smile. "Cute," he says, turning and continuing his progress forward.

This statement makes me see red, my blood boiling. _No one __**ever **__calls Yuffie Kisaragi cute in such a sneering manner and gets away with it. _I continue to observe him covertly, seeing if he can be taken down by me alone. Somehow he moves a little too smoothly, with the grace of a trained fighter. I probably _could _overpower him – with the element of surprise and some luck. If he tries to do _anything _to me in this creepy mansion, I will take him out and run away, honour be hanged. I'll find some other way to repay Wutai's debts.

Once or twice we get seriously close to monsters, but none attack. I am surprised and more than a little wary. At last, we come to a series of stairs and down we go, the walls getting a little damp, smelling of decay and mildew. A few more steps to the bottom and we are standing before a rusty metal door. Hojo fits a key into the lock and pulls the handle, opening it silently. He then hands the keyring and a thick packet, which I later find out is full of gil, to me, with another one of his feral smiles. We then enter, and he closes the door behind him. "A mere precaution against the big bad monsters roaming around outside. I'm not as bad a parent as you think, Yuffie_-chan_," he says suddenly in Wutainese. I know he is mocking me and I refuse to reply, choosing instead to unzip my bag and casually drop the keys and packet into it before rezipping it.

We are standing at the beginning of a long corridor, which is lit by a series of white lamps that throws much of it in a sickly fluorescent glow that is too bright after the relative darkness that we have been walking in. There are many doors, and I shudder a little, wondering what is behind each one. I realise that the corridor is not empty as I thought it was, and before us stands a young boy, not a day over six, I can swear. His skin is white and washed out as if lacking exposure to sunlight, contrasted even more greatly by his long ebony locks of hair that is falling in an untidy mess all over his head. His clothes are ordinary enough, except that they are all black. He looks up and I gasp a little, for his eyes… his eyes are a luminous red, the colour of fresh blood.

"Yuffie, this is the boy. I trust you two are _dying _to get acquainted, and so I will leave you to it." That much said, Hojo leaves, the door closing with a resonant clank behind him. I am left facing the boy, silence thick in the air between us.

I clear my throat, wondering at the pure apathy in the face of that child. For that matter, I do not know his name. His _father _had not seen fit to tell me.

"Yo. I'm Yuffie, dragged out here by some terrible grown-up issue that you might not understand…" I stop, for his face, though still registering a lack of emotion, has changed just the slightest smidgen to register incomprehension.

_Oh right. He speaks only Wutainese. _So I try again, in the beautiful mother tongue that rolls off my lips in trilling syllables often reckoned akin to the falls of water over the great Da Chao statue. "My name is Kisaragi Yuffie, the single White Rose of Wutai. What's your name?" Tacky I know, but well, I'm not really thinking straight at the moment, what with the trauma of being sold and being in some creepy old mansion, facing some strange little kid who has eyes that would give even the bravest warrior in Wutai shudders.

"'m Vincent," he says, mumbling a little. His face now registers, to my expert face reading skills, a little bit of doubt, some hostility and a lot of something else I cannot identify.

"Well, since we're in this together, why don't we be friends?" I smile at him, one of my signature trademark grins. The changes it brings in Vincent is remarkable. His lips draw back in a snarl and I look at a creature that regards me with pure hate. Then, as suddenly as it has appeared, it is gone, and the impassive mask has returned. This time however, due to the slight crinkling of his eyes and the slight trembling of his bottom lip, I see something else. If this had been an ordinary child, he would be curled up in a ball, crying his eyes out. But because he is Vincent, he chooses to stand his ground, glaring at a stranger.

A normal person might be put off by this, but I am no ordinary person. And, I take pride in the fact that I'm good with kids. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I'm still one myself. This one however, is somewhat different. I don't think an offer to go out and make mudpies together will do anything for our relationship, at least not yet. I don't know what makes me do what I'm doing, but I drop my bag on the floor, step forward, moving slowly so as not to surprise him unnecessarily. Kneeling down, I put my arms around his small frame a little awkwardly, and pull him close.

He tenses, and I am afraid that he will push me away. However, I feel his small body relax just the slightest, and two tentative hands go around my neck. He does not cry, but as I am holding him, I can feel him trembling. I rack my minds for ways to soothe him, and lacking inspiration, I fall back on the method my mother has always used on me. My fingers move long rhythmic strokes through his soft hair and I hum a Wutaian lullaby.

He has gone still, his body is limp and his breathing comes in slow, even bursts. Pushing him a little away from me so that I can see his face, I note that with his eyes closed, he looks like any other ordinary child. A very beautiful child. _He must have gotten the good genes from his mother because I sure can't see _any _Hojo in him, _I muse.

Grunting a little, I pick him up to look for a bedroom. He is surprisingly heavy for his size. _Must be dense bones._

I try door after door, coming across the kitchen, the laundry, even a library, all of which I would love to inspect closely, but the sleeping burden in my arms has to be put to bed. Let it never be said that Yuffie Kisaragi does not take her duties seriously.

I finally find a bedroom, equipped with two beds, both almost identical. I haven't found any other beds, so evidently, I am meant to share this room with my charge. I put him down as gently as I can, tucking him in. Spotting a woolly Moogle on a pillow, I put it next to his head, within easy reach.

With that done, I sit on my own bed for a while, watching him. There are dark shadows under his eyes as if he has not been getting enough sleep. I purse my lips, vowing that that will change. I believe in good old fashioned Wutaian upbringing for children, as long as it isn't applied on _me. _Hypocritical, but since when do I bother explaining things to myself?

Seeing that he is comfortably settled in and will probably remain so for the rest of the evening and the night, I decide to explore my new quarters. Maybe, run around outside in the mansion and its grounds and kick some monster butt or two. Anything rather than think about the life that seems to stretch before me, companion to the child Vincent and his crazy father Hojo.

The kitchen _is _rather well stocked, with lots of canned food, but no fresh meat or vegetables. To my horror, there is neither ice cream nor chocolate in the fridge. Definitely these _have _to be remedied. I check the gil that Hojo has left with me. I'm not sure when he'll be back, but it will last for quite a bit. There is a clock on the wall, and if I run, I will probably make it to the village before all the shops close for the night.

It isn't a difficult decision to make; I _need _my sugar fixes. To the village it is. I feel a small twinge of guilt for leaving the sleeping child but it should be all right. After all, he probably won't wake up til morning. I leave, carefully locking the metal door behind me. Hojo had not mentioned anything, but I do not want Vincent up and wandering about, prime bait for some bloodthirsty monster lurking around the mansion. He was way too young to be able to adequately defend himself, forgetting that I myself was out beating monsters up at the tender age of three.

A hop hop, skip skip and several decimated monsters later, I am outside the mansion gates in the town called Nibelheim. It's not a really impressive place I must say. The tiny little convenience store, to my dismay, is sadly lacking in the ice cream department. When it comes to chocolate, it is no better, boasting of only one measly brand of sickeningly sweet cherry ripe flavour. I eat chocolates of all shapes and forms, but there is one flavour I can never eat, and that is cherry ripe. I cannot bring myself to buy it, and leave the store, absolutely dejected. The sour faced storekeeper watches me fiercely the whole time in the shop, as if I would want to steal any of his shoddy merchandise. When I ask him to consider stocking more of a variety when it comes to his confectioneries, he _growls _at me and says, "If you ain't buying, git out!", shooing me out and slamming the door behind me. The sign is flipped to say "CLOSED".

As I wend my way back to the somber mansion that is now my home, I stop in my tracks suddenly, nostrils flared. Honed to absolute perfection from sixteen years of usage, I know this scent instantly. _Caramel crunch. _I sniff like a dog, following the trail until I come across a grubby little kid, throwing the last remains of the chocolate into his mouth. I could have cried.

I think there is madness in my eyes then for he looks a bit scared. I blink, trying to get myself under control and I demand, "Kid, where did you get that chocolate from? I have gil and I'm willing to use it!"

The boy watches me slightly suspiciously as if sizing me up, but like I've mentioned, I'm good with kids. Maybe that or the gil I'm waving at him is tantalising enough. He comes closer to me and says in a stage whisper, "Our parents don't know, but Nelso's dad, when he comes back from his travels, he brings heaps of chocolate, and Nelso's got a nice little joint set up. He's good too, doesn't charge overly much. He lives in that house over there but you'd better hurry. It's gonna be his bedtime soon."

"Thanks," I whisper back, getting into the spirit of things. I press five gil into his hand.

He winks. "Neways, my name's Grant. See ya around."

I knock on the door as directed and am greeted by a tiny urchin with a shock of flaming red hair.

"Nelso right?" I whisper again, theatrically looking his shoulder for any 'grown-ups'. He grins a toothily at me, joining in the 'conspiracy'.

"First time customer right? I've only got caramel crunch and fruit & nut left at the moment. M'dad's due back soonish. Stocks are running low." He disappears for a few seconds, and comes back with several plastic packets in his hands. "Seven gil and that's the lowest I can go, threw in a free mini bar seeing as you're new and all."

I impulsively hug my little red headed _angel _and in no time, I'm back in the mansion, speeding through the moldy old corridors, standing in front of the metal door, barely stopping to unlock it and close it behind me, still in euphoria over my acquisitions and then I hear it.

The high piercing scream of a child, and I _know _the only child down here is Vincent.

Dropping my purchases on the floor, I rush to his room, where he is tossing and turning, flinging his covers off and thrashing wildly. I run towards him, knowing that I have to get him to wake up. Without warning, he sits straight up, with a single name screamed out, "LUCRECIA!"

And his eyes snap open and I am confronted with the ruby gaze again.

* * *

**AN:** So. Decided to reverse the situation. Instead of our darling vampire boy being the elder, more mature one, Yuffsters has to take that place…which is why she may be a bit OOC. But hey, when faced with a sad child, there's only so much you can do right? :D And I like to think that the shock of having been sold away has forced Yuffie to mature abruptly in a short period of time. Do keep reading and reviewing ^^ A few words of encouragement/critique will totally make my day! And thank you to all you darlings who _have _been reading and reviewing! –spreads author love around–

Oh and before anyone asks, _of course _the six year old Vincent will have nightmares and wake up screaming Lucrecia's name. Our dear Vinnie isn't Vinnie unless he's all riddled with his triple burdens of guilt, angst and sin :D Yes even as a kid. Can't even give the poor guy a happy childhood ;D


	3. Chapter 03

**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter 3** _in which Vincent discovers the joy of chocolate and Yuffie tells a bedtime story._

* * *

He is trembling all over and for the second time that day, I hold him in my arms, making small soothing noises at the back of my throat.

I am still young enough to remember my own childhood nightmares clearly, so I don't tell him that it's alright, because it really never is. I can't tell him that everything will be fine, because I don't know what is troubling him but what I do know is that we're not close enough for me to press him any more on that subject.

His trembling eventually ceases, but his eyes are wide open, strange blood red irises surrounding heavily dilated pupils. I know, and _now I know what my mother meant when she said that mothers just somehow know things, _that he will not be able to sleep again for some time yet. "Gawd, I sound so old," I mutter to myself under my breath.

I feel two small hands on my shoulders, and I give in to the pressure as Vincent gently but inexorably pushes me away. I understand enough that I don't resent what might constitute as a rejection. After all, we are still close to strangers, and he has no particular reason to overly trust me.

Sitting on his bed, I eye this child who has now become my duty. _Duty. _Such an unpleasant word, one I used to hate, the reason why I always ran away from Wutai, just because I wanted to avoid it. Giving myself a mental shake to avoid falling into glum thoughts of Wutai and what was home but is home no longer, I plaster on one of my most cheerful smiles.

"Well I know what YOU need right now. And what you need is a glass of warm milk and cookies," I proclaim triumphantly, pointing at Vincent.

He stares at my finger and then at me but he doesn't speak.

"Actually…scrape the cookie idea, I didn't buy any. Warm milk and chocolate it shall be!"

With that declaration, I hop off his bed, making my way to the door, about to breeze out to the kitchen coolly, when I hear a small sound, too soft to be a whimper, but exactly what a whimper would be if you were trying your very _best _not to let anyone know that you're whimpering but a sound comes out anyway and I turn to the bed to see garnet eyes regarding me but this time there's a hint of desperation in them, and suddenly I remember my childhood again, a time after my mother died and I _hated _being alone especially after my nightmares because that would be the worst time of all, with the pain and the fear and the whole empty loneliness gnawing at your stomach and even if you cried out for warm arms, _nobody would come. _

And then I am angrier than I ever have been before, angry at Hojo for daring to leave his sonto fend alone in this dark mansion, angry at all the citizens in Nibelheim for not storming this place to release the captive child, angry at Godo because he could sacrifice his own daughter for his pride, angry at Gaea for letting such failures of fathers even be fathers in the first place… then a small hand slips into my limp one and I look down to see Vincent looking up, a little fearful but he's waiting for my reaction, waiting to see if I will send him back to bed before I leave him all alone again and I smile, a genuine one this time, not one of my annoyingly wide grins and I say, "C'mon Vince, let's get a bite from the kitchen. Together."

When we do get to the kitchen, I settle him down on one of the chairs before ripping open a package of chocolate, breaking off a piece and handing it to him. I then busy myself for a while, taking out milk from the fridge and pouring it out into a pot to warm and I don't notice that he hasn't done _anything _to the chocolate until I turn and I see him staring with complete concentration at the brown substance in his hand. He looks up at me a little nervously, a question in his eyes and I am absolutely scandalised.

"Vinnie, that's chocolate. Haven't you ever had any before?"

He shakes in negation, and I immediately decide that _this _I can change and it _has_ to be put to rights immediately. Grabbing the open package that I left on the countertop, I break off another piece with my teeth and wolf it down. "Like that."

Staring at me a little doubtfully, he sniffs the already melting fragment in his hand before taking a tiny nibble, all the while his eyes watching me cautiously. Suddenly, as the sweetness melts on his tongue, his face is filled with an almost rapturous expression, and he takes his gaze away, focusing instead on the steadily diminishing chocolate in his hand.

Remembering the milk I set to warm on the stove, I go over, figuring that it is already should be warm enough by now. I pour out a little into a glass and test it. _Mmmm _just right.

I've already sweetened it with a little bit of honey, because I love all things sweet, and so I take another glass and pour Vincent's share in, and pour the remainder into my own.

By now Vincent is done with the chocolate and is regarding a sticky brown hand.

"Just lick it off Vince. That's the best part!"

He decides to trust me and does just that and soon there is no trace of chocolate left.

Taking the two glasses, I place one beside him while taking small sips of my own. "Vinnie, welcome to the top rung of the Ladder of Bliss. Chocolate is a wonderful addiction and now that you've tasted it, you will _never _be free of its deliciously wonderful call!"

Again I get no reply. I wonder if the kid is naturally so quiet, or maybe he doesn't know how to react to my wise words. Ah well.

I glance at the wall clock and it is well past the bedtime for any sensible child. Of course, in my own youth (oh gawd, it sounds like I'm freaking _old_) I disregarded such trivial things as time and sufficient rest, but while Vincent is under my charge, he will go to sleep on time and for as regular hours as much as can be managed. Didn't I mention that I'm a hypocrite earlier?

"Righto- it's off to bed with you, Vince," I tell him. "But first brush your teeth. Lemme tell you from experience, cavities _hurt!_"

He doesn't move and his brow is furrowed deep in thought.

"What's up, Vince?" I say, moving a little closer, but not too close that he might get intimidated.

"Vince. And Vinnie. You call me that."

I can't help smiling. "Nicknames boyo. We bestow them onto people we want to annoy or because we like them. Or maybe both. You dislike it?"

He mulls upon it for a while before shaking his head.

"Bathroom then." I walk out and he hops off his chair, following closely behind. As I go through my own nightly ritual, I watch him in the mirror, and he is brushing his teeth meticulously. Somehow I get the impression that Vince is a very thorough kid.

He disappears for a little while and reappears in what I think are his pyjamas. Can't really tell, they're black too.

I rummage through my bag and grab my own, heading to the bathroom to change.

When I return, Vincent is already in bed, under his covers, but he is sitting up, his eyes wide open. I sigh and try to remember how did _I _get coerced to sleep in my younger days. For me, the challenge was keeping me _in _bed in the first place. I have fond memories of Gorky threatening to tie me up as a desperate last resort. The only person who didn't have any problems with putting me to bed was my mother, and that was because she told the most interesting… Aha!

"Hey Vinnie," I say, sitting on the side of his bed again. "If I tell you a bedtime story, will you try to go to sleep after that?"

He nods, a spark of interest flickering in his eyes.

Of course, the very first story that I tell him is my own favourite and I launch into it immediately, imitating my mother's voice and her inflections as I tell the tale.

'_A long time ago when Gaea was still young, there lived a little servant girl in a village that would eventually be called Wutai. Both her parents had died when she was very young. _

_One day, her mistress sent her out into the woods to gather herbs for a particular dish that she wished to cook. Knowing that she would spend hours to gather what was demanded, the girl brought some hard bread and cheese with her, all that she was allowed to take from her mistress' household. _

_The woods were known to be filled with monsters but the girl was not afraid, for she was fleet of foot and had an agile mind, enough to bring her to the relative safety of the village if she was threatened. _

_As she searched, she suddenly heard sounds of a great struggle, and though she was afraid, her curiosity got the better of her. Crouching, she crept nearer and nearer to the noise and she beheld two monsters locked in a deadly battle. _

_The larger, a blue-furred bestial creature overcame the other, slashing wildly at its neck and chest. Panting in triumph, it was about to leave when it caught the scent of the human girl. Roaring, it charged, fangs and teeth gleaming, ready to sink them into the soft flesh of the human. _

_Fear kept her from moving, and at that moment, she knew she faced death. However, even as she watched, the smaller beast, whom she had thought slain, rose to its feet and leapt, pulling down its larger blue opponent. They slashed furiously at each other, but when the fighting ceased, it was now the blue that lay prone on the forest floor. _

_The victor looked up, its eyes glowing an unearthly red, and it locked gazes with the girl._

"_Go," it said, baring its fangs. "It is unseemly for my kind to hunt such weak and defenseless prey." _

_Shocked to hear the tongues of men issuing from the mouth of a demon, she was yet able to scramble to her feet and turned to run._

_A thudding sound stopped her, and she spun around to see the white beast fall to the ground, bleeding profusely from its wounds. _

_Timidly, she approached. The monster's chest still rose and fell faintly. It was still alive. _

"_Is… is there anything I can get you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. _

_There was silence for a long long time but she waited, watching carefully. _

"_I thirst."_

_She did not have any water on her, but she did know that there was a stream nearby, and so there she went, dipping a clean cloth into the water, and dripping the fluid into the monster's gaping maw. Seven times she went to the streams and seven times she returned until the monster was sated. The seventh time she wrung the cloth over its mouth, it sat up and said, "I hunger."_

_She offered it the hard bread and cheese she carried, all that she had._

_It regarded the food for a moment, and then looked at her. __"Why did you help me?"_

_She answered, "Because I could." '_

"I don't understand," Vincent says as I pause to take a breath.

"What is it Vince?"

"Why _did _she help? It was a monster, she was afraid. How could she stay back and help?"

"Well, if she had just run off screaming, there wouldn't even be a story in the first place, I guess?"

"It was strange," he persists stubbornly. "How does it end?"

"Basically she tends to the monster's wounds and continues to visit it. Even after it recovers, she sometimes sneaks out of the village at night to talk to it. One day, a manservant at the place where she works follows her and sees her talking to the monster. He goes back to the village and tells everyone and they drag her to the marketplace to stone her to death. When she's about the die the monster rushes in and saves her and takes her away. They talk again, and the monster's all 'I will kill the villagers to avenge you,' but she's all 'I don't want my legacy to be one of death', and she makes it promise not to harm them, and she dies."

"…"

"Don't like the story?"

"She died, nothing changed. I don't get it."

"What about you let me tell you the _proper _ending, and then you go to sleep?"

He nods and I take a deep breath in, ready to finish it properly.

'_As she breathed her last in its arms, the monster threw back its head and let out a cry so painful and heartrending that all who heard it wept the tears that the monster could not shed. _

_It buried the girl somewhere in the cliffs, near the sea she had loved and was never to be seen again. However, from that day on, the village of Wutai was never attacked by stray wild beasts. Legends_ _maintain that the monster still patrols the land, protecting the humans, unworthy as they are. _

_They say that if you stand right at the top of Da Chao, facing the wind, sometimes you can hear her voice, singing to the it, and if you listen even more carefully to the roar of the waves beneath you, you can even hear its contented growls. '_

"The end," I say, clasping my hands together. "So, can you sleep now?"

He considers the question and nods, settling down beneath his sheets.

I switch off the lights and make ready to leap into my own bed.

"G'night Vince," I tell him before I snuggle down under my covers. I don't expect a reply, but when it comes, it is pleasant in its unexpectedness.

"Goodnight Yuffie." It is the first time that he has ever said my name.

I am about to drift off into unconsciousness when I hear Vincent's voice, sounding very small and lonely in the dark.

"Yuffie?"

"Yes Vince?" I murmur, already half asleep.

"Does the story really end that way?"

"Yeah, my version does."

"How does the other version end?"

I snort. "They fall in love, she gives him a kiss of true love, he transforms into a handsome young man who is actually the prince of a nearby kingdom and they live happily every after. Obviously I prefer mine." I burrow in deeper, feeling a little cold even under the covers.

"…" Vincent seems to be thinking again. "Yuffie?"

"Yes Vince?" I reply, wondering if I should set some rules about talking after the lights are down.

"I like the yours more too."

"That's good m'boy. Now go to sleep."

"Yes Yuffie." Those are the last words I hear before sleep finally claims me.

* * *

**AN: **Chapter 3 and the beast _still _hasn't surfaced! _Why did you call it _'Yuffie and the Beast'_ in the first place you __baka writer?_ –hides and blushes– Hopefully that will be changed when Chapter 4 appears ;D Til then, keep reading and keep reviewing! Love all the comments! And could you please tell me if you're finding anyone exceptionally OOC?

Oh and as for the fairytale, I _always _wanted to write one. Sorry I lived out one of my strange fantasies in this chapter. I will post the fairytale as the epilogue to this fic!

Can you tell I like chocolate? ;D And for now, Yuffie is still speaking to Vincent in Wutainese. Just imagine that in your head. And I decided not to tack on '_-kun_' and '_onee-san_' behind their names when they address each other because Yuffie has always seemed like a fairly informal break-the-musty-old-conventions sort of girl, and she probably wouldn't like any kids '_onee-san_'-ing her all the time anyway.


	4. Chapter 04

As always, thank you all you lovely people for reviewing. Enjoy this chapter :D

(This one is a tad longer than usual I think…)

And surprise surprise, Yuffie likes reading. It explains the rather large vocabulary that she's been displaying from time to time ;)

* * *

**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter 4 **_in which we finally meet the Beast _

* * *

There are no windows in this place and so it is not sunlight that awakens me the next morning. I sit up immediately, having become too used to travelling alone for too long in dangerous parts of the world, to disregard even the smallest anomalous sound.

I stare at a middle-aged woman, who is in the act of piling together my rather untidy clothes that I had thrown out of my bag yesterday in my search for nightwear.

"Who're you?" I ask, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"I'm Rachael. I live in the village. Professor Hojo hires me to clean up after the child. And now, you too."

_Professor _Hojo? Interesting. That explains his weirdo lab coat.

Vincent still seems to be sleeping soundly, so I leave him, heading to the bathroom.

When I'm done, I step out to see him waiting, with his own towel and things.

I figure he's old enough to do that stuff by himself, so I leave him with a clear conscience, making my way to the library. If I have to educate the kid, I might as well see what materials I'm provided with.

Yesterday I didn't really have a good chance to take much of a look around, but today, I find that I am impressed.

People are usually surprised to find that I adore books. After all, keen scholarship isn't exactly the image I present. However, if you're traveling out alone in the wilderness miles and miles away from any civilisation and there are days when the only person you have to talk to is yourself, things can get out of hand. Having a book with me keeps me grounded and entertained.

I am happy to find that it is extensive and contains all the reading and writing materials that I will need for Vincent. Just when I'm done setting up one of the large tables for use, I look up to see Vincent, looking fresh and clean.

"Hey Vinnie!" Let's get some breakfast!" I wait long enough to see that he's walking with me, and rush off to the kitchen. I am strangely excited about teaching him, for some reason.

We grab a quick bite and I shoo him back into the library. I have a bit of a one track mind; once I get something into my head, no one or nothing can stop me from achieving my goal… as long as I remember it. My mother used to say that it was Leviathan's blessing that I am so easily distracted, or my three year old proclaimed birthday wish to conquer the world _might have come true. _Curses to my easy distractibility. If not, all of you might now be bowing to Empress Yuffie.

I am pleasantly surprised to find that Vincent already knows all his _kana _(Wutaian letters) and some simple kanji. When we move on to Common, to my even pleasanter surprise, he knows the entire alphabet and can spell some words. I watch him as he attempts to spell my name ("Yufee") and am satisfied that he is an extremely bright child and that teaching him will be easy.

Since his grasp of basic Common is good, I start with all the important phrases that every child should know, like "Hand me all your materia!" and "Give me chocolate if you know what's good for you!" and "You don't know who you're messing with!" He performs admirably well, and can speak without the overly noticeable Wutaian accent that so many of my countrymen seem to be stuck with their whole lives.

We've worked for quite a while, and my tummy rumbles, signalling that it is time for a late lunch. There is no sign of Rachael, so I assume that she has already completed her work for the day.

I cook a light dinner, we eat, we talk… okay, I do most of the talking and Vince does most of the listening, but it's still conversation! Then I put him to bed, and I go to sleep myself.

This establishes itself as a sort of routine over the next few days. I do attempt several times to draw Rachael into conversation, but she's really closed-mouthed, refuses to give much info.

Vince makes excellent progress over the next few days, and though I was a precocious child, I have a feeling that Vincent will surpass me easily.

On the fifth day, Hojo makes an unwelcome appearance, breaking the groove that we have already fallen into. He says nothing to me, but simply takes Vincent away. When Rachael arrives, I quiz her, but all I can get out of that woman is that Vince won't be back 'til nightfall. Turns out even Hojo wants father-son time. How unexpected.

Finding myself with an impromptu holiday, I decide to train up a little. Since I've been devoting myself to Vince's studies, I haven't practiced at all, and I have to keep in shape. Running around and beating up several of the monsters is excellent exercise, and I get to level up some of my materia at the same time.

By late afternoon, I'm done for the day, ready to have some fun and so it's off to the village, where I find Nelso and Grant up to some nefarious scheme. I assist them in the plotting and execution, and after that, share dinner with Nelso's family, meeting his traveller father (and my unknowing chocolate supplier) in the process.

Sated and satisfied, I head back to the mansion that is now my home, only to find that Vince and Hojo still haven't returned. I retreat to the library, grab a book and settle myself down to wait for them.

The clanging sound of the metal door signals their arrival home, and I go to meet them, only to be confronted by the sight of Hojo and a tall burly man carrying Vince over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. To my absolute horror, Vincent's hands and feet are bound; he is trussed up like a turkey. Before I can speak, they sweep past me down the corridor, stopping before another metal door that has always been locked. Hojo opens it, and I see Vincent being callously thrown within. At the sight of this, I find my voice. "WHAT THE #%&* ARE YOU _DOING?_" I exclaim as Hojo slams that door shut.

"I will be back tomorrow to open this and you can recover your ward then," he tells me calmly.

"_No #%&ing way_ am I going to let you lock him up like that!"

He quirks an eyebrow at me and I can sense, rather than see, that he is amused. "Oh Yuffie-_chan_, are you attached to him already?" he says, drawling in Wutainese.

I am too furious to reply.

"If you wish, you may spend the night with him. You may not enjoy yourself though," he continues.

"Whatever. Let me in," I growl out, wishing like crazy to punch the guy but knowing that he technically is still my employer and Wutai's saviour, however distasteful that thought is.

He chuckles mirthlessly. "As you wish,_ Lady Kisaragi_. As I have said, I will return tomorrow, and hopefully I will find both of you still alive."

I _know _he wants me to ask him what is this all about but I refuse to give him any satisfaction, no matter how small it is.

"Are you weaponless, Yuffie-_chan_? It may get dangerous."

Again I refuse to say anything. _What is he talking about?!_ There's only _Vincent _inside here, right? I take a quick peek around the room, which is big, white and empty of anything but Vincent's pathetic figure still lying prone on the floor.

"See you tomorrow then. Hopefully." And the metal door slams shut behind me. I hear it being locked behind me. Bastard won't even let me carry Vince to his bed where he _should _be sleeping, instead of this cold concrete floor.

"First things first," I mutter to myself, going to Vincent, undoing the knots that bind him quickly. I curse Hojo another time when I see how tightly Vincent's been bound. His wrists and ankles are chafed red from the rough rope.

I carry Vincent to one of the walls, so that I can lean back, settling him into my lap. If we're stuck here for the night, I'll try to keep the both of us as comfortable as I can.

As I try to still myself and maybe nap, I find my eyes darting around to all the corners of the room. As I said earlier, it is big, big enough for me to backflip about twenty times without ever hitting a wall. It is also high, which is a bit of a surprise since we're underground. There are a few air vents near the ceiling, but they're small and way beyond my reach, so not really a viable escape route. It is well lit, almost too bright actually. Like the rest of the room, the floor is white, a highly polished marble-like substance that squeaked under my sneakers as I walked earlier. I don't like it. It feels so cold and impersonal. And completely empty.

I am glad that I didn't leave Vincent here alone. It would have been inhuman.

In my lap, Vincent stirs, and I hope that he will wake up. I want to ask him about what his _father _has been doing to him.

Without warning, Vincent shoots up to his feet, his back as stiff as a ramrod, his lips parting in a loud shriek that brings goosebumps crawling all over my flesh. What is the most terrifying is that his scream bears no emotion, no fear, no pain. If one of the machines the Shinra so delights in powering up could scream, it would probably sound something like this. It's like metal striking metal incessantly.

Jumping to my feet, I put two hands on his shoulders, trying in some way to calm him down. His eyes are wide open, but they do not seem to be focusing on anything. I can see his pupils, shrunk to the size of tiny pinpricks in his blood red irises. His screaming continues and I wish to scream along, wanting to cover my ears to shut out the sound, but not able to because I need to rouse him out of this conidtion.

"VINCE!" I yell, shaking him a little, first gently, then progressively rougher as I get more desperate. "SNAP OUT OF IT!"

I feel a glimmer of hope when recognition flickers in his eyes for the tiniest of a second before it is replaced by _something _else. Something frightening and feral.

Before I even have time to register what I have seen, I feel myself being lifted and thrown, further than any twenty year old in his prime could have thrown me, what more a skinny little six year old who barely comes up to my chest.

Having been trained all my life, I am prepared as I hit a wall and slide down to the ground, barely injured but completely shocked. _What did_ Vincent _just do?_

Hojo's cryptic hints and words come back to me now, and I am a little afraid, but only a little. I stare at Vincent, who is now breathing heavily, but thankfully not screaming any longer.

And then before my eyes, he changes.

"Oh ^%#*," I mutter, breaking my self mandated rule not to swear before Vince. Fortunately, he is probably in no condition to take notice. Unfortunately, the possible contamination of his mind is currently the least of my concerns at the moment.

He is growing before my stupefied eyes until he has reached about my height, arms and legs lengthening, becoming completely out of proportion for a human. His limbs and body thicken, against all known laws of physics and matter, and as he shudders, I can _see _the muscles rippling under his skin. Long claws sprout on what were his fingers and toes, _fangs _erupt out of his mouth, large icky scary monster-like fangs that creep me out more than any of the other changes that I see. Vince's long black hair has elongated and falls as a sort of mane down to the small of his back. His mouth lengthens into what can now be called a muzzle, and his ears are now larger and pointed. To make things even worse, he sprouts fur all over. _Blue _fur to match his now blue skin. Amazingly, his pants still fit, although his shirt is already in tatters on the floor. To seal things off, he even has a _tail._

Now, under different circumstances, I would have been utterly wowed out by Vinnie's tail. It's long and sinuous and even has a fluffy blue tuft right at the end.

As I have mentioned, I am easily distracted. Even with the horrifying monster before me, all I can look at is that _tail. _

All thoughts of tails are flung out of my mind in the next instant though, because Vincent (or what _was _Vincent) throws back his head in a loud roar, then crouches down, ready to spring. He is slavering, and I can see a small puddle of drool collecting at his feet. _Grossness. _

I have a feeling that I know what he has next in mind, but Vince or not, I am _not _obliging him by becoming his late supper. He is fast, but thank _gawd_ I am faster.

He looks a little surprised when I evade his first few clumsy lunges. Have you ever seen a big blue furry brute look all confused? If I weren't running for my for my life here, it would be sooooo cute.

As it is, I am silently sending out prayers to Da Chao, Leviathan, my mom and anyone else listening and feeling particularly benevolent. I may be faster, but I'm guessing that I'll tire out faster than he will. Additionally, I did some practice today, and my muscles are still sore from running around and beating monsters up.

I try to think, but my prospects seem bleak. I am weaponless, a little tired, and Vince is showing no signs of slowing down. I stare at the monster, trying to catch its gaze, trying to find if Vinnie is still there at all. With a little shiver, I realise that his eyes haven't changed. The same garnet orbs stare out of me of a brutish face twisted in a snarl. Somehow I am reminded of the very first encounter I had of Vincent, just little over a week ago, when I had smiled at him and then seen his face twist into a mask of hatred. Eerily similar.

It is his eyes that give me hope, for if there is any vestige of Vincent inside this beast, I will drag him out, kicking and screaming if I have to.

_This is definitely NOT the night that Kisaragi Yuffie leaves this world, _I swear to myself and over my mother's dead body.

I decide to take a risk in my own impetuous manner, and hope that there is enough of Vincent left.

"Vince~" I call out to him in a singsong tone. "It's me, Yuffie!" I stare right at him, willing him to recognise me.

He growls and tenses and leaps. I dodge, keeping a safe distance, but still talking to him as gently as I can. "Hey Vinnie, c'mon! Isn't it all tiring running around?"

A claw swipe that barely misses my face is my reply.

"Why don't you calm down a little, and I'll tell you a bedtime story?"

Dodge to the left.

"Don't you remember milk? And chocolates?"

Dodge to the right.

"We read books together! The boring one on Wutaian history that you like? I helped you with all the hard words!"

Dodge another time.

I am getting a little out of breath, but thankfully I am used to talking and fighting. After all, taunting one's foes is a very useful skill. This time however, I'm trying to calm him down instead of rile him up. Perhaps that's why I am failing so abysmally. None of my words seem to have any impact on him. As I avoid yet another lunge, I feel another emotion building up inside me and it is rage.

I don't care that he's become a frickin' blue beast but doesn't he even have _any _gratitude? I _have _been caring for him over the past few days, making sure he gets balanced meals and enough sleep and stuff like that. _Me! _The Lady of Wutai! His _caregiver! _And he's trying to _kill _me? Where's the gratitude I deserve? Admittedly, I was forced to come here, but I have tried to be as nice to him as possible, teaching him and correcting him. I tuck him into bed, cook for him, feed him chocolate that I could have kept to myself… The last thought is the spark to the flame of my anger.

"NOW YOU LISTEN HERE VINCENT!" I yell, taken by one of the incandescent rages that I am prone to. My temper flares quickly and leaves quickly, but when I am in its grasp, I can barely think coherently. "IF YOU ATTACK ME **ONE MORE TIME **I SWEAR I WILL…" I dredge my mind for a suitable punishment, "…I WILL **SPANK** YOU!"

The monster is staring at me, and there is a look of bafflement on his face again, but he has stopped attacking.

"THAT'S RIGHT VINCENT!" I am in full cry now. "TRY ANY SILLY GAMES, I WILL TURN YOU OVER AND SPANK YOU ON YOUR LITTLE BLUE BUTT! I **MEAN IT.**"

Is that _contrition _that I see in his eyes? Anyhow, it seems to have worked. His claws are lowered, and he is no longer in attacking stance.

As abruptly as it came, my rage leaves me, and I am now staring at what looks like a rather abashed monster. Evidently, no one has ever tried scolding him before, and he isn't sure how to react. I am half trembling in surprise over my victory and half in actual fear of having just screamed my head off at a fearsome monster, when I hear a small sound coming from the brute's direction.

Surprise upon surprise. I have had enough shocks for today that I can afford to be philosophical. _He speaks. _

"Yoo…fee…" His voice is gruff, and the sounds coming out aren't exactly right. I guess monster mouths and throats weren't really made for speaking. "Shooo…ree."

I am shocked, but I can afford to be gracious about it. "Apology accepted. No more attacking me, 'kay?"

He nods, almost eagerly, and he watches me, tail swishing back and forth.

I sigh, sliding down to the floor in a half-collapse. "Gawd Vince, don't do that again! My heart's going faster than one of Highwind's airships." I'm not sure if I'm referring to his transformation or the fact that he was trying to kill me. Maybe both.

He edges nearer, and I glare at him. I don't think he'll try to attack again, but I can't help but be cautious, in light of recent events. He flinches under my eyes, but creeps forward, now on all fours. His entire demeanour is beseeching. He stops when he is within arm's reach of me, and bows his head. His ears are drooping, his tail is drooping, even his fur seems to be drooping a little. Altogether, a picture of abject misery.

I reach out tentatively, putting my hand on his head. His soft hair is exactly the same texture as the human Vincent's. "'S all right Vince," I murmur, stroking gently. "You didn't kill me, I'm fine, case closed."

He crumples down onto the floor, face still downturned. Somehow he looks so vulnerable lying there, and I remember, inside that fearsome body is a lost six year old little boy. Without thinking (I seem to do this a lot), I find myself hugging his head and shoulders, a little awkwardly, but a little nostalgic of how I comforted him after his nightmares. It's been five days and I'm already nostalgic. I wonder what that means.

I'm not sure why I start crying. It may have been the adrenaline leaving my system, it may be because I feel so sorry for the little boy Vincent, it may be because I am suddenly homesick for Wutai and the life I had before my mother died, when I was actually _happy, _but I cry like a child, holding onto Vincent the beast, but crying for Vincent the child and Yuffie the child, and the twistedness of the world.

As I cry, I feel a warm wet tongue slide over my cheek, washing away some of the tears. Grossness! Vince is _licking _me. Gross, but still extremely sweet. It is kinda ticklish and I laugh.

"Ok Vinnie, stop stop!" I ruffle his long, long hair, and he growls a little, in contentment. It's almost reminiscent of the purring of a cat. _Cute. _I ruffle it some more, and his growls intensify. A look of contentment spreads across his monster face.

"Aww, you softie. You just want to be cuddled, don't you, you widdle bwoo monster!" I'm not sure why am I using baby talk. Vincent the human, even as a child, would have died from the indignity. Vincent the monster rolls over, making happy little noises.

I amuse myself by tickling him and watching him squirm. I wonder if Vinnie the human is ticklish too. I haven't had the occasion to try yet.

We play for a while, but the excitement of the day is getting to me. I can feel my eyes drooping, and to my slightly hazed sight, Vincent the blue monster just looks like a cuddly bolster.

I give in to my sleepiness, muttering to Vince, "If you _dare _try to eat me in the night, I will ensure that my spanking is twice as hard…" and before I even finish speaking, I've snuggled up to him and am falling asleep. It might have been a foolish thing to do, but I'm not exactly renowned for my excessive wisdom or foresight, y'know.

I have nightmares and I wake up in a cold sweat, with the dream already fading fast in my memory, leaving only an imprint of fear and pain in its wake. By my side, Vince sleeps, back in his human form. I smooth the hair on his forehead, careful not to wake him up. Poor boy needs his rest.

Admittedly, I am still in a bit of a shock from the events of the previous night. I haven't really had time to absorb the full weight of the situation adequately. My head is spinning a little, and my body is _aching. _Cold hard floor is _so _uncomfortable.

"Well, I am glad I do not need to scour Wutai for your replacement, Kisaragi. A person of your calibre is _so _hard to find."

When did he open the door? I didn't hear a thing. My senses must be dulled from all this stress I guess.

"I see that you even escaped injury! How pleasant. Cleaning up the blood does make the servants extremely upset. Can't imagine why."

Horrible man. I sweep past him with as much dignity as I can muster, carrying a still dozing Vincent in my arms. He feels a little heavier than usual. Has he somehow grown during the night?

Quick footsteps coming alongside me tell me that Hojo has no intention of letting me be.

"I am curious as to how you subdued the beast. Did you use feminine wiles? Or did you run the whole night?" I can _hear _the smirk in his voice.

I can feel the rage building up inside me again, and maybe that's why I answered Hojo as I did.

"I bit him." I say it in a complete monotone, as if stating a distasteful fact that I cannot hide or change. _Yes, _I can act well when I want to. Mistress of guile, that's me.

"You _bit _him?"

"Well, he tried to bite me first!" That wasn't entirely untrue. "Maybe it's some _monster mating ritual _or something." I stress on those words, remembering his jibe on my feminine wiles. Disgusting.

"You really…_bit_ him?"

It is the first time I hear Hojo sound so unsure of himself.

"Why, hasn't anyone tried that before?" I reach the bedroom and enter, slamming the door into Hojo's shocked face.

It may have been petty, but boy, _did it feel good._

* * *

**AN:** If anyone is wondering "WHY _BLUE?" _…I don't have a reason. ^^U. And in case you're wondering, the beast is _kinda _modelled after the Galian Beast but not exactly. For some reason I was kinda thinking of Nanaki on hind feet coupled with a bit of Kimahri from FFX. Maybe that's why he's blue :D And furry. ^^

I actually had a lot of fun with this chapter. :D Well my pretties, read and critique! I await your replies breathlessly! (no but really, reviews to make my day! )

Just a little note, I've been avoiding Yuffentines like a plague ever since I started this story (and I miss reading them! I really do!), because among the many things I fear, plagiarism is one of the top ten… and I don't know why I'm babbling here. Cheers!

**Kurogane7: **I realised something about fairytales..how they begin and how they end are generally the most important bits… :D

**Annette Silhouette:** I always thought of Wutai as sort of like a fusion of Japan/China (especially because of some of the fics I read)… and I chose Japan as a model(though I'm not expert) for the culture and stuff that I will be referring to in this fic :D Plus 'Kisaragi' is _such _a Japanese name.


	5. Chapter 05

**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter 5 **_in which Yuffie makes a decision and acts upon it in her customary fashion_

* * *

I watch Vincent as he sleeps, conflict raging in my mind. Thinking too much at one time has always been a problem for me, but my mother taught me how to sort stuff out so that I can get a rational train of thought out of all that mess.

_Point one. Vincent is a monster. _

_Point two. His creep of a father knows._

_Point three. Vincent almost killed me last night._

_Point four. WHAT AM I STILL DOING HERE?_

I can run away. Live in the wilderness, hide out in some small town. Even if I make my way on foot, I can live off the land, it isn't a problem. If I leave Nibelheim now and travel through the dark forests that surround it, I'll hit some other civilization soon. I'm a ninja so I'm an expert at hiding. No one, not even Godo and his henchmen will be able to find me. I realise that I've stopped referring to him as _father _even in my head.

I'm about to leap to my feet and start packing, as impulsive as always, but something stops me. _What about _Vincent_?_

Can I leave this place behind so callously, and abandon Vincent to the tender mercies of his father? Even though I haven't been here long, it is fairly obvious that Hojo cherishes little or no paternal feelings for his son.

A small, ugly part of me that I am always ashamed of is prompting me to leave, not to seek trouble. The other voices are far more adamant. My conscience, that I always hear in my mother's sweet tones, tells me that if I leave Vincent here to fend for himself, I will bear a burden of guilt for the rest of my life.

Can I take Vincent with me? I consider it and dismiss it immediately. Right now, if I do leave, it would be cruel to bring him along. He wouldn't be able to survive in the wilderness. He has had no training, has no skills. And there's that little matter of the monster. What am I supposed to do with it every time it appears?

Furthermore, from the way he acts and his apparent wealth, it is highly likely that Hojo is one of the top dogs in Shinra. With so much gil and power behind him, Hojo can easily hunt us down and bring Vincent back to his imprisonment here.

Something suddenly clicks into place and I realise…

Vincent needs survival skills. I can teach him how to live off the land.

Vincent needs to be able to defend himself. I can teach him how to fight.

Vincent needs to keep himself hidden from Hojo and his Shinra dogs. I can teach him the ninja ways of concealment.

I smile a little grimly to myself. Hojo did after all, bring me here to _teach _Vincent. He can't exactly complain if I teach Vincent more than he bargained for.

While I've been thinking, Vince has woken up, and he watches me and I notice a hint of fear in his eyes.

"Vince?"

"Yuffie," he begins, his voice cracking up a little. "What… did anything happen yesterday?"

"You don't remember?" I've changed him into his pyjamas and thrown away his ragged pants. I'm betting Rachael has already cleaned the tatters of his shirt from the White Room. That woman is quite a domestic robot.

He shakes his head mutely. I notice that his two small fists are clenched over his blanket, and he is trembling again.

If Vince doesn't remember his monster times, I don't see any reason to tell him about it. At least, not yet.

I reach out and tousle his hair, getting a small frown from him. He doesn't seem to appreciate it very much.

"C'mon Vince, don't lie around! I've got a great new plan for today! Change of lessons!" As I speak, I am already formulating my great plan.

He brushes his teeth and eats the breakfast that I've prepared in a sort of abstracted silence that is unusual, even for the normally quiet boy. Briefly, I wonder if the transformation last night did anything to him. Perhaps it is tiring to take monster form?

When he is done, he gets up and heads towards the library, as we had been doing for the past few days. I touch his shoulder, getting his attention. "Not that way."

Despite the not too pleasant memories I have associated with it, the White Room is perfect for what I have in mind. No other room in this basement complex will do, unfortunately.

Vincent becomes noticeably nervous as I open the now unlocked door of the White Room.

"Chill, Vince," I tell him, pounding him on his back. "All that sitting around in the library means we're not getting any exercise! From today, that's gonna change! Mornings, we'll train our bodies, afternoons we study, evenings and nights, we get to play. Sound good?"

I'm putting him through a similar regimen that I went through in my youth. After all, if I could get through it, so can he.

We limber up with some stretching, and I am pleased that Vince is taking well to it. The boy's a natural! He mimics me with a flawless grace, and soon he's already on slightly more advanced exercises, designed to build muscles and maximize flexibility.

When he starts to tire, I push him a little more and stop. There isn't any point in exhausting him out – I've never been the advocate of the 'train-until-you-collapse-and-die' method that some of my countrymen are fond of.

I keep Vince on that schedule for a few weeks, and one day, decide that he's ready for something different. I take out my extra oversized shuriken, and press the smallest and lightest one into his hands.

"Alright, first thing we've gotta do is get you used to a feel of a weapon in your hands," I tell him, correcting his grip, and shaking his arm to make his loosen his tense limbs. Sure, I could have started him on knives or something easier, but I'm a little prejudiced.

As with basic hand-to-hand fighting, Vincent is a natural. _Is there _anything _he doesn't do well? _We leave the White Room in a good mood, and because I am almost bursting with pride over my capable pupil, I cook him a particularly sumptuous lunch. The good feelings continue after lunch and I give him a break for the day, to read anything he wants from the library until dinner.

I expect him to pick up an adventure or horror novel that the library is well stocked with, but he more than surprises me with the title of his choice. Trying to pretend that I'm reading my own book, I gape at the title of his, trying not to be too obvious about it. Blinking, I look again and again, thinking I've somehow misread, but it doesn't change. The book chosen by Vincent, the six year old, is "The Language of Flowers."

I am bursting with curiosity, but not wanting to seem overeager, I wait for a while before speaking.

"Hey Vince?"

"Yes Yuffie?" he answers, putting the book down and looking at me attentively. Earlier I had drilled him on the importance of listening to his elders and Vincent always takes my words seriously. His ruby eyes are just still a little disconcerting, although I am more or less used to them by now.

"Why did you choose that book?" I'm blunt and I don't see the point of tiptoeing round it. Maybe he got the title wrong and is too embarrassed to switch it?

"I like flowers." He sees my lifted eyebrow and continues. "My… my mother liked them too." He says this in a very quiet voice, almost to himself.

I realise that this is the first time that he has ever spoken of his mother, and that he is speaking in the past tense. Even more fellow feeling flows into me for this little lost boy. Both of us have lost our mothers, and are stuck with pathetic excuses for fathers. My resolve to take him away strengthens.

The metal door clangs open, and even as my ears register the sound, I am already moving close to Vincent, placing my body between him and the library's doors. I do not relax when Hojo comes striding in, coolly confident.

"Boy, come," he flaps a careless hand at Vincent. "Yuffie-_chan_, you are free for the day."

Vincent goes quietly, and I half consider pulling him back, but realise it is premature for any moves like that. Additionally, if even if I knock Hojo out, when he wakes up, he'll have the whole of the Shinra SOLDIER and maybe even the shadowy Turks hunting me down as soon as he can get to it.

Today I spend the rest of the time moping around, not really in the mood to go to the village, even if Nelso and Grant are having loads of fun. It surprises me when I understand that I am feeling lonely without Vincent around. Somehow, in this month or so that I've spent with him, he's already grown on me.

I don't even have the heart for dinner, so I throw together a bacon and lettuce sandwich, munching it rather disconsolately in the kitchen. I try to read as I'm eating, but find that the words just fail the interest me.

As it starts getting later and later, I start pacing around, getting rather frustrated. _Why aren't they back yet? _

Finally, I hear the door opening and I rush to meet them, greeted once again with the trio: Hojo, the tall man and Vincent, carried and bound. Angered, I rush to the kitchen and grab a knife, waving it wildly at them. The man seems slightly shocked, but he moves his larger bulk as if to shield Hojo. Hojo however, is calm, and even smiling.

"Leave her, she just wishes to cut the boy's ties."

The man keeps moving, giving me no opportunity to fulfil my purpose. I growl a little as they turn to the White Room, but before the man can toss him in casually like he did the previous time, I grab Vinnie with one hand, my other still brandishing that knife.

"Ah, Yuffie-chan, this time you decided to come with a weapon!" Hojo sounds delighted. "I would actually _love _to stay to watch how you subdue him, but since that monster delights in attacking my on sight, I will make myself scarce."

"How could you?!" I scream, unable to keep the rage from bursting out. "You're…doing…doing _something _to him!"

"Tsk tsk, temper temper," Hojo drawls, leaning against the doorframe. "Did it ever occur to you that I am trying to _help _the boy? He suffers from such a _terrible _condition, it breaks my paternal heart to see him that way."

"You don't _have _a heart," I spit at him. He's lying, I _know _he is. He's definitely not helping Vincent, locking him up in this dark mansion, taking him away only to do gawd-knows-what on him, and bringing him back all unconscious…

He laughs mockingly. "Yuffie-_chan_, can't you tell? This boy is a danger to himself and to others! If I let him run about freely outside, who knows what damage he might do when in his monster form? It's true that somehow _you _have some sort of control over him, but others are not so lucky." Suddenly his voice hardens and his gaze lowers Vincent. "The boy is a monster! A freak! An abomination not meant to be. A mur-"

I hear a small sound, and I look down to see that Vincent is awake and listening.

"_YOU ARE THE MONSTER!_" I yell at Hojo. "HE CAN HEAR YOU. HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH THINGS IN FRONT OF HIM?!"

Without thinking, I have thrown the knife, straight at Hojo. The metal door suddenly slams shut, and the knife hit the steel instead, falling to the floor in the clatter. As I stand there, breaths coming abnormally fast, my mind throbbing with fury as I remember the smirk on Hojo's face just before he closes the door.

Vincent has pulled away from me, and is crouched into a little ball nearby. I touch his shoulder, only to be pushed away roughly. "Yuffie…go," he says, his voices deepening and becoming rougher. I pull his face up, and see his jaw lengthening and the unmistakable fangs sprouting. He is half bursting out of his clothes, and the ropes that bound him are already broken, lying in pieces on the floor at his feet.

"So it's happening again," I say calmly, though inside I am in turmoil.

"Go!" the Vincent-beast moans, covering his face. "Go…before I hurt you…"

"Vince, it's alright," I say, keeping my voice quiet, going closer, before he suddenly throws back his head in an ear shattering roar. _Boy, not again._

This time I am ready when a large clawed hand swipes at me.

I wait until I can get steady eye contact with the beast, fixing my gaze on his. _Heck, if it worked once, it'll work again. I hope._

In my sternest voice, I say, "Remember me?"

He stops his loud growling, and suddenly lowers himself to the floor, looking as apologetic as a blue monster can.

I sit down next to him and pet him gently. "You can't help but go berserk when you transform, is it?" I mutter, as I am scratching his head, more to myself than to him.

I jump when he answers. "Yisss…" I already knew he could talk, but it still surprises me.

"Why though?" I muse, thinking. "Does it hurt?" I ask, going with the first thing I can think of. Animals attack even the masters they love when in great pain.

"Yisss…."

"Does… does the human Vincent remember what happens when he's…well, you?"

"Nauuuww…"

"But you remember what the human Vincent does?"

There's no answer for a while, and I wonder if the question is too complicated for his beast-mind.

"Sooome-times," he says, speaking slowly. I guess that jaw and mouth aren't really suited for speaking human tongues. "When hurt isss bad, remember…alsssooo baaaad. When hurt reaally baaaad, remember…remember not at all."

"That's why you attacked me both times?" I ask, storing this piece of information.

"Vincent sssssorry," he says. "Hurt….hurt Yoo-fee bad. Yoo-fee good to Vincent. Like…_kaa-chan_. Like _nee-chan_. Vincent…Vincent didn't want…hurt! But pain…bad…. Vincent hurt…. Vincent hurt… 'Cre-shya-_nee_." Two big tears appear in the monsters eyes, looking like twin drops of blood. He looks up at my, his face contorted as if in great pain.

"Cre-shya?" I say, rolling that name on my tongue, wondering why it seems somehow familiar. Then it hits me. The first nightmare, on the day I arrived. The name Vince woke up screaming.

"Lucrecia?" I ask.

"'Cre-shya-_nee_!" The monster is crying now. "Vincent hurt 'Cre-shya-_nee_! All Vincent…Vincent bad!"

'Cre-shya-_nee_? Lucrecia-nee-chan? _Oh gawd, his __**sister**__?_

"You hurt Lucrecia?" I want to ask. I _have _to ask, or this question will haunt me.

"'Cre-shya-_nee_ hurt…'Cre-shya-_nee_…'Cre-shya-_nee_…die…" He moans, curling up tightly.

* * *

**AN:** I think the name of the type of weapon Yuffie uses is the shuriken. And I have _no idea at all_ about martial arts or ninja training, so I have been deliberately vague. _Kaa-chan_ (_okaa-san_ in full) means mother, _nee-chan_ (_onee-san_) is sister.

**serenbach: **Do you know, I was looking through the FFVII fanfictions not too long after starting this fic and was horrified to see another Beauty and the Beast inspired Yuffentine? I am completely hoping our stories are _very_ different so no one can say I copied him/her. I haven't dared read it because I don't want to unconsciously steal something … *squirms*


	6. Chapter 06: Calendura

I'm so so eager to get to the later part of this fic, the ideas are bursting out like crazy! And the dialogues I have planned! :D

* * *

**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter 6 **_in which Yuffie receives her first ever bouquet of flowers._

* * *

The next morning I awaken, half expecting to find a furry blue beast in my arms, only to find Vincent the human, sleeping soundly.

I lift him gently, trying my best not to awaken him. He feels heavier than usual, and this time, instead of just noting it absently, I scrutinise his skinny body critically.

_This definitely isn't my imagination. _Vincent is bigger than he was yesterday. The previous time I was a bit too shocked to notice it, but after his transformation, he's grown. I mean, I've heard of growth spurts, but there's something different. Even his face has aged just a little.

Changing him into his pyjamas and tucking him into bed, I have plenty of time to think about this particular turn of events. Too many odd things have already happened since I got here; Vincent growing at an abnormal rate is hardly the most shocking yet.

"Yuffie?" He is awake.

"Yup?"

"I'm tired…" he says, his eyes fluttering open and close as if he's trying to stay awake. "May I sleep in today?"

_Gawd, he's so polite! _Back when I was his age – _whatever age he really is – _I didn't give a rat's ass about asking for permission to sleep in. I slept as and when I wanted to for however long I wanted to. Only... only my mother could drag me out of bed without having the whole house screamed down around her ears. Only mother.

"Go ahead Vinnie," I say, ruffling his hair. "I'll stay here til you wake up 'kay? Then we'll have lunch. Or tea."

Before my words are even finished, he has already sunk back down into sleep. As I watch him, I wonder about Hojo, Vincent's mother, about his sister named Lucrecia, and the monster's tears yesterday. _Did he really kill her? _

My naturally curious nature wants to know. I'm sure the monster wasn't lying, he didn't seem to have the cunning enough to do that. Anyway, he had no reason to lie, and he wept as he told me about 'Crecia.

If his words are to be believed, the emotions the human Vincent feels towards the people around him are translated to the monster form, which is why he obeys me. However, directly after transformation, when the monster is in pain and out of control… I shudder a little. If I had not possessed my set of skills, the monster would have hurt, or even killed me.

"Ah Yuffie, how delightful. Miraculously, you survive the night yet again!"

Hojo's voice grates on my ears. He is standing at the doorway of the bedroom, and unless I misread him, there is satisfaction and even a gleam of triumph in his eyes as he watches me. What is that slimy git so _happy _about?

"Yuffie, Yuffie, simply _so _adorable, glaring at me with admirable spunk. Ah, yes, I was about to tell you something, right before your charming eyes distracted me."

Gawd, this man continued to get more hateful each and every time I came into contact with him.

"I did mention before of the necessity of absolute discretion when it comes to Vincent and his condition, have I not? Absolute silence about his very existence is essential. Imagine if those rural bumpkins outside knew what a dark monster this mansion harboured, aside from the normal ones they already fear! It would be like the days of yore, 'Storm the castle, defeat the evil beast lord who dwells within!' Let me assure you, superstitious callow fools they are, that is the only thing they'll see a transforming monster beast as."

"What's your point?" I mutter sullenly at him, mentally disagreeing with his words. Many of the villagers seem to be genial folk, returning my greetings with smiles, and occasionally little gifts. They know I live here. Nelso and Grant, engaging cheerful kids they are, were not raised in the atmosphere of prejudice and distrust that Hojo seems to intimate at.

"Simply this. The boy _may _run around in the mansion and its grounds, under your watchful eye of course, but under no circumstances is he to be brought out to the village or its environs, understood?" His voice is mild, but there is a underlying tension to it that makes me curious.

So this is what he was driving at.

I already know I'll take Vincent away. Once I'm assured of his ability to fight and survive, I'll take him away from his gloomy imprisonment and somewhere somehow out there on Gaea there has to be someone or something that can help him.

More a feeling than anything else, I know that nothing Hojo is doing is aiding Vince.

While I am thinking, Hojo has already left, and the doorway is empty.

Well at least his words have given me an idea. Vincent hasn't been out of this basement complex for as long as I've been here, except when Hojo has taken him away. Smiling, I plan a short trip out around the mansion's grounds. Since they're so extensive, there's little or no chance that he'll be seen by the villagers. Mindful of Hojo's warnings, I have every intention of playing the responsible nursemaid up to the day I whisk Vince away from this miserable existence.

It has already become a mantra in my head. _Bring Vincent away. Let him run freely. Take him from all this. _

When Vincent finally does get up, I rush him through the morning routine with barely contained excitement, mind full of the day I have planned.

After a very light brunch, he heads almost automatically to the White Room, but I stop him with a hand to his shoulder.

"We're going on a field trip! Outside!" I grin, throwing together some random food into a basket. We'll probably have a picnic or something for lunch, or, looking at the time, tea.

It seems my excitement is infectious, and Vincent gives me a little smile as he reaches over and starts arranging the things a little more methodically into the basket. So small, already a neat freak.

As he walks by my side, I am again conscious of the fact that he has definitely grown. He is taller by at least two inches, and I suppress a worried grin. If he keeps this rate, he'll be taller than me soon enough.

The monsters in the house have already learnt to fear my tread, and they scuttle out of the way, trying to fit their bodies into darkened corners, hoping my eyes will pass them by. I am watchful and wary, knowing that to let down my guard would be foolish.

Warm balmy sunshine hits my face when I step outdoors, and I smile. Today's weather will be mild, not too hot, but not freezing cold either, just the way I like it.

Vince blinks a little as the sunlight fills his eyes. As I watch him the paleness of his skin and the pallidness of his face strikes me. Even after heavy exertion, he barely flushes.

I berate myself, glad for the impromptu holiday I chose to have today but angry that I failed to think of it earlier.

As we wander the overgrown garden, I start pointing out the various edible roots and plants to him. I am trying to teach him all I can after all and it is too good an opportunity to pass.

He is suitably attentive and generally remembers almost everything after hearing it once, or at most twice, but I can see that his attention is focused on other things: the flowers that dot the undergrowth here and there, lovely splashes of colour among the greens and browns. His eyes dart in all directions, drinking in the sights, and I can see that he is almost twitching to run ahead and explore, eager to see what other blossoms that this weed infested garden holds. I keep him by my side for a few more minutes and then allow him to go where he wishes, only cautioning him to watch out for some of the smaller monsters that roam here. They are punier and less in number compared to their darker cousins up in the mansion, and far less powerful. Vincent should be able to flee, or at least, hold them off until I arrive to aid him. Somehow I know that he will not run too far off.

I stroll along the path, my hands in my pockets, whistling a little tune, feeling happy and contented despite everything. It is a lovely day. Snatches of birdsong drift to my ears, insects whirr and buzz along their merry way. Somewhere in the background, the dark mansion rises, but today, even its bleakness cannot affect my mood adversely. I stick my tongue out at its general direction and continue to saunter the path, my eyes half closed in relaxation.

These grounds are really quite large, I note idly as I walk. I've explored them a few times since coming here, but have yet to cover the full extent. Of course, I was also too distracted by all the monsters in the mansion itself. Training out here would be slower, with the lower leveled and scarcer monsters, but it would be infinitely more pleasant than the dank and gloom of the mansion.

As I walk, the path beneath my feet becomes less and less a path and more like a small trail. Here, the weeds and plants grow taller, and I suddenly lurch out of thought to find myself surrounded by what seems like a forest of trees. Frowning at my carelessness, I turn back, thinking to look for Vincent, since I haven't really heard him for a while.

Somehow on the way back, I take a wrong turn and find myself in a completely unknown location. Even as I start to worry a little and tiny tendrils of panic creep their way into my heart (_where's Vincent, I'm supposed to keep an eye on him, __**what will I do if he's gotten hurt**_) when I stop, thoughts suddenly fleeing from my mind at the tableau before me.

A forest glade, a bubbly stream, beams of sunlight piercing down from above, winds drifting almost lazily to whisper among thousands, hundreds of flowers, each a jeweled beauty in its right, dancing in the slight breeze, all laughing, all lovely…and Vincent right in the middle of them, his arms full with a few dozen orange blooms, their bright heads nodding happily as he moves, careful not to step on any of their brethren. The sight is breathtaking, and Vincent, pale dark Vincent, looks like part of them as he walks through. Who would have thought that Vincent looks the most at home in a field of flowers, with sunlight catching in his ebony hair, a secret joy glowing in his ruby eyes.

He walks nearer to me, and almost shyly offers the rich bouquet he carries in his arms.

"For you, Yuffie. Calendula. They're edible."

Not exactly the most romantic speech to accompany the first bouquet of flowers I've ever received, but I'm not really bothered. I put the picnic basket I carry onto the ground to take the flowers from him, thanking him and inhaling as their scent wafts up. As befits their vibrant orange hue, instead of being sweet, they smell spicy. My nose tingles a little.

"Thank you, Vince," I say smiling at him. "I won't eat them, but I will treasure the gift, and the thought behind it." I'm not sure why I said it so formally, but maybe it's because we're speaking Wutainese again, and that language can be one of the most formal in existence.

"Only returning a small measure of what you've given me," he says, almost inaudible in a low whisper, before running off to walk among the flowers again.

I stare after him, a bit surprised. Those did not sound like the words of a six year old, nor even the eight year old he now looks like.

We have a wonderful picnic among the flowers and walk slowly back to the mansion in companionable silence. He carries the picnic basket gravely, with the air of one entrusted a great responsibility (sometimes he still is a child after all), while I carry the flowers, loving their spicy tang more and more.

Passing through the mansion and arriving at the basement complex with not even the sight of a claw or tooth of a single monster (they really _must _fear me now, I muse), I shoo Vincent to the bathroom, demanding that he shower, and fast, because I want my turn after him.

As he bathes, I wash out a container and fill it with water, placing the Calendula carefully into it. Holding it in my hands, I walk to the library, intending to place the makeshift vase and its contents on one of the many tables there.

A book lying open on one of the tables catches my eye, and I move towards it. At the open page, I see a picture of the flowers I carry, and underneath, a caption.

"_Calendula, common name, Potted Marigold. Cures footrot, tommyrot and heartrot. Good for pains of the head and feet. In former days, a bouquet of thirty five was believed to be a charm for everlasting joy. _

Curious, I count the flowers in the temporary vase. There are thirty five of them.

* * *

**AN**: I'm not entirely sure if all genera of Calendula are edible, or if just one species of it is. _Please don't go and try. _I don't want to be held responsible! Oh, and the entry in 'The Language of Flowers' is _entirely _made up :D And apologies for the bad spelling. My poor attempt at haha… But Calendula flowers do carry the meaning joy ^^ And many of them are a lovely orange with that characteristic spiciness

*ends with hugs* Until the next chapter! *heart*


	7. Chapter 07

This chapter was written while under the influence of Hamasaki Ayumi's song, Dearest. Just so you all know. :D

* * *

**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter 7**_ in which a birthday party is anticipated and Yuffie gets a little surprise _

* * *

"Hey Vince," I ask one day, in what should have been a time of quiet contemplation. I tend to set rules and be the one to break them, but I've always had the mentality that rules were made to be broken, even my own.

"Yes Yuffie?"

He looks older now, and has taken an even deeper bent for the taciturn, less and less inclined to speak unless spoken to. I'm not sure if this is the result of his own natural reticence or the effects of his father's – no, Hojo's – experiments, or both. He is extremely thin for his height too, something that I believe is the consequence of growing too fast and too much in too little a space of time.

_Oh Leviathan, I pray I'll take him away before the effects of these on him are too permanent to ever be erased. _Some nagging feeling in me already tells me that it is too late, but I refuse to cave into despair for it is only in the hope that one day, one day I will take him away, and Vince will be able to smile and laugh and play like the child he really is, despite all that is happening to him now.

He still never speaks about what Hojo does to him when he takes him away, and I never ask. Some horrors are meant to be shared and sorrowed over together, but some horrors will only be made doubly dreadful in the retelling. Every time he is taken away, every time he transforms, and every morning when he regains his human form, something seems to have been lost, wrested from him. Every time, I fancy, if just a little, his eyes are becoming emptier and emptier. The nagging little part of me I try never listen to but usually turns out to be annoyingly correct tells me that what he's losing is his humanity, and one day, the monster Vinny, no matter how cute and blue and fluffy he can be, is slowly eating the human Vinny I know, and one day he'll eat _all _of Vinny up and there _won't be any human Vinny anymore…_

As I'm absorbed in the dismay of my thoughts, I realise that a pair of garnet red eyes are fixed patiently on me, waiting for me to speak.

I lift my eyes to his and something must have shown in my face for he places the book that he is reading down and moves towards me, coming close but not touching me.

"What's wrong, Yuffie?" His voice, to an outsider, is calm, but I can hear the slight undertone of worry underlying the words that tells me he is quite concerned.

I sit up a little and pull my face into the best hyper-ninja-girl expression that I can muster. Most people see me in this mode and assume that I'm just high on sugar, not thinking very much at all, and then ignore me as I bluster around. No one tells the hyper ninja the really important things, but they don't bother hiding the other important things from her either – like the locations of their materia pouches for one thing. I've used this guise successfully for so many years (since I became the Great Materia Thief at the tender age of ten) and it hasn't failed me yet. To tell the truth, I've done it so much that sometimes I feel like I really _am_ a restless, overly bubbly ninja girl.

"Nothing Vince! What gave YOU that impression?" My silly grin should be able to drive him off. For some reason it makes him really confused, be it in monster or human form. Ever seen a confused blue beast backing away from you almost shuddering as you turn your maniacal grin at him? You should try it one day. It's actually loads of fun.

He looks rather unconvinced, but stops his questioning, as I hoped. He still gets cowed by me, despite being almost my height now, thanks to his accelerated growth.

"Anyways, what was I gonna say before I spaced out…oh yeah, Vinnie…when's your birthday? I've been here almost a year and I just remembered that my birthday's coming up, and I realised that we've never celebrated yours, so when…" My voice dies up as I see his face, how it is slowly closing up and going into the blank mask that he puts on when he's trying to hide something that he doesn't want to talk about.

"I don't have a birthday," he says curtly, in his final way indicating that the topic has ended.

Okay… I mentally add 'birthday' to the list that I've been compiling of What Not To Say To Vincent, to be added to 'Lucrecia', 'memories of the past', 'what does Hojo do to you' and for some odd reason 'lemon cheesecake'.

I almost back down (note the _almost_) but my insatiable curiousity gets the better of me and I cannot resist. Is it the mention of _his _birthday that he objects to or is it birthdays in general?

Feeling that I'm on the brink of solving a great mystery, I prod a little, as delicately as I can, or at least, as delicately as I know how. Which, to be honest, rarely ever borders on subtle.

"We won't talk about _your_ birthday, but do you have any objections discussing mine?" I watch him carefully, and as he relaxes, I do a little victory dance in my head. I amend the word 'birthday' on my list to '_his own _birthday' instead. He nods and I take that as a go ahead to blaze full speed forward. "How about this, I want to have a birthday party! I'll get a cake and stuff from the village, we'll decorate the library or something, and we'll have a mini-party! We can even have guests...well, _a _guest, if Rachael agrees to join in…"

This elicits a ghost of a smile from Vincent as he imagines Rachael 'partying' along with us.

"And we can have streamers, a HUGE pink banner, and those loud poppy things that people always have at parties, and fairy floss and bowls and bowls of candy…" As I speak I wax more and more enthusiastic, even as a small germ of an idea takes root in my mind.

Vincent listens attentively, and even manages to look as if he's interested, even eager. He still is a kid after all, and all kids love parties right? I'm not too sure if I'm overgeneralising here, but work with me.

The party idea consumes my thoughts and is the main topic of our conversations over the next few days. Vincent seems initially mildly interested at best, but I think my exuberance is catching. We spend an entire day decorating the library, having decided that it's the best place for the party, I go out and spend all the gil that Hojo has given me on tooth-decaying sweets, various food of all kinds, streamers, balloons, anything and everything that catches my eye. Since my father has never bothered with anything as trivial as my birthday since my mother's death, I like to think of this seventeenth party as something to make up for all those years I missed out on having a massive celebration.

It is the morning of the party and I awaken with a dark feeling of foreboding. I don't know if I believe in signs and portents. The most beautiful sky I have ever seen was the morning the day my mother… No. My thoughts are going down a track they should not take, one that I have barred myself from entering.

Having done what I need to do, I walk back into the bedroom to wake Vincent up. As I reach out a hand to touch him on his shoulder, I realise that if I go by just how he looks, Vincent is already in his early teens. My fingers hover just a little above his shoulder as I think. _I wonder if the day will come...when he will look even older than me_? I cannot even conceive it right now, but if things continue at this rate... I give myself a hard shake, driving away those thoughts from my mind.

Because he is one of the lightest sleepers I know, barring myself, his eyes are already open almost as soon as my hand makes contact.

"Good morning Vinnie," I say, smiling down at him, seating myself on the edge of the bed.

"Happy birthday, Yuffie," he responds, with one of his rare smiles, the smile that has become even rarer these recent months, and my heart aches for the boy child I see before me. Something of my emotions must be showing in my face, for his is now filled with concern.

"Yuffie?" He squirms a little until he is sitting upright, on eye level with me. "What's-" his voice cracks a bit, and he clears his throat a few times to try again. "Is everything alright?"

As I hear him speak, another shard pieces my heart. _He's only supposed to be a child of about six, or maybe even less. Why is it that I can already hear that his voice is starting to break, he displays a maturity that I would not be ashamed to possess and his intellect is like, or maybe even superior to that of an adult. _

Against my will, tears begin to gather in my eyes and leak out at the corners. Furious at myself for crying in front of Vincent, I rub my face against my sleeve wildly, willing them to dry up.

I feel the bed move a little as Vincent leans forward and envelops me, a little slowly and a little awkwardly in a hug, as I have always done whenever he wakes up screaming from the horrors that haunt his dreams. I almost laugh at the role reversal, but then the tears rise in a fresh new flood, because the arms that I can feel around me, though thin and a bit scrawny, are no longer the arms of the child I can remember just a few months ago.

It takes me a few minutes to get my sniffles under control, but finally, I regain my composure and pull away a little from Vince. He releases me, resting both his hands on his lap, but his eyes, as they watch me, are grave. I force out a weak smile, the best that I can muster at the moment.

"It's just…" My mind spins wildly, trying to find an explanation, and I blurt out the first one, without stopping to consider how ridiculous it sounds. "Your hair's gotten so long."

The gamut of expressions on his face is almost amusing to watch, from incredulity, to puzzlement, and finally settling on a small frown, which I can't really read, except that it contains a hint of anger along with the other complicated emotions he seems to be feeling.

"That–" he states drily, reaching out to tug a lock of my hair, not too hard, but firmly enough that I did feel a little pain. "–was a lie." He continues to play with my hair, long fingers tangling through the strands, as I stare, strands of my fringe escaping him and falling on my eyes and cheek, shock rising in me slowly but inexorably. "Yours has grown a lot longer too." With that, he gets out of bed, walking out of the door, without even a glance back at my dumbfounded face.

I reach up my hands to ruffle my hair in an attempt to shed some light on what he just did. "What on earth was _that _all about?" I ask aloud to the empty room, still staring at the open doorway through which he left.

* * *

**AN**: :) Reviews are loved and welcomed!

**Annette Silhouette: **Yeap, I made up the flower language xD I was planning on doing more, but we'll have to see how that goes =)

**warandchaoshorla**: Why not Chaos? Well, there are several reasons, but one of them is because the Chaosform has its own backstory connected to it (think DoC), and I don't want this story to have that complication, which I _will _think about whether I like to or not if I had used his normal monster forms.

_In chapter 8 … will the party go on as planned? Will Yuffie finally leave the house, bringing Vincent with her? _


	8. Chapter 08

I'm getting excited! Hopefully I'll finally be able to move the story to the point where I want it to go! :D

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**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter 8** _in which Yuffie expounds on the importance of baths.  
_

* * *

My mind is racing, with little or no explanations rising up to comfort me.

Vincent, calling me a liar? It's something he's never done before. Even that brief flash of anger that I saw, one that hinted that he harboured even more complicated feelings within, was something completely new.

I know, Vince has never been the simplest of children, but he's never spoken back like that, he's never questioned me… Am I feeling the pain of a mother whose beloved child seems to have grown up into a stranger overnight… or maybe… Vince is going through a stage of _teenage rebellion?!_

I sit bolt upright, glad for what could be the possible explanation. _Of course! _I've always known his mind matured as well as his body, so based on his looks, Vince is already entering his pre-teens. Raging hormones, that's the thing, I tell myself, giving me a mental pat on the back for my brilliant deduction.

"That's right Yuffie! It's not like you don't understand, after all, you're a teenager your-" My birthday! The party! Because of my recent shock, it has completely slipped my mind.

Fortunately, Vincent and I have already completed setting up and the decorations. I have even ordered for food to be sent from the village, since I declared earlier that there's _no way _I'm going to do _any _form of work today.

All this thought processing has taken time, and Vincent walks into the room, looking all clean and nice from his morning shower, one that I insist he takes. I hold strongly to the 'at least two baths a day' principle, one that not many people would assume I believe in, especially if they've seen me traveling through the wilderness. Well, obviously, if one doesn't have a choice, then one has to make do, but living in a place where there is clean, _hot_ running water to be had anytime, not taking long, enjoyable baths is a _sin. _I think it's part of my Wutaian upbringing, what with living near so many hot springs. Having an _onsen _to revel in during winter months is one of the greatest of blessings on this earth.

He seats himself on my bed, facing me, his disconcerting ruby red eyes just watching me, as if waiting for me to speak. I stare back at him, and though he's putting on a brave front, there is just a smattering of fear right in the back of his eyes. Dragging out our staring contest a little longer, just to make him uncomfortable, and as subtle punishment for earlier, I break contact suddenly, flashing one of my brightest smiles at him. He shivers, and I am briefly insulted, until I realise that he is shuddering from relief, having been tensed up and uneasy just moments earlier.

"Well, whatcha sitting around for? We've got a party to go to!" As if on cue, I hear the soft click of what I consider the front door to our little abode, signalling that Rachael is here and that the festivities can begin.

Bounding up, I grab Vince and drag him and Rachael to the library, where I almost forcibly throw them into chairs. Rachael, carrying packages and containers of food up from the village looks slightly bemused, an expression I've never seen before.

"LET THE PARTY GAMES BEGIN. Muahaha!" I rummage around one of the hidden corners where I've secreted my stash of games in preparation for the party. I display them proudly for the two to see.

"Niagara and…Twister?" Vincent looks a bit apprehensive, darting glances between me and Rachael, whose portly, motherly form and staid mentality would not really suit that game.

"Nu-uh," I say, shaking my head at him. "_Finger _twister." I grin.

We then proceed to spend a glorious half an hour contorting our fingers into strange positions, complaining frequently and noisily of finger cramps (alright, I admit that was mostly me) and altogether having a really good time. Surprisingly, Rachael won in the end, but what was even more surprising is Rachael's full out victory pose when first Vince, and then I, concede defeat. I can almost hear brass fanfares in the background. She blushes a most becoming shade of rosy red before settling herself down and mumbling about "changing games".

Taking her hint, we move on to Niagara, which, naturally, I win. Any game which involves stealing of Materia (be they fake or real) is my forte, and the little canoes are just too cute. I trounce them thoroughly for about six rounds before the taste of victory becomes a bit boring in my mouth. Their expressions have also taken on a rather glazed look, something I've noticed on all my victims. Odd, isn't it?

I stretch and yawn, and Rachael somehow takes this as a sign to start opening up package after package of glorious food. Vince and I decided to indulge, and all of us have ordered our favourite food according to our own tastes. There is a silence for a while as we dig in, but after a while, I get a little restless.

"Say Rachael," I mumble, my mouth filled with an assortment of food, "Tell us one of your most embarrassing moments!" It's one of my favourite questions to throw at people, and for some reason, when asked directly like this, they tend to answer honestly. I try to wriggle my eyebrows conspiratorially at her, but the effort of talking, chewing and wriggling all at the same time throws me off, making me contort my face into a strange expression, resulting in Vince bursting into one of his extremely rare spurts of laughter.

Rachael appears to be considering the question seriously, and she opens her mouth as if to answer, when suddenly, we hear the clang of a metal door opening and closing.

I send a few prayers to Leviathan, with only two words screaming in my mind, "_Not today, not today, nottodaynottoday!"_

Hojo steps into the open doorway of the library, his mouth twisted in a small sneer. He surveys our decorations for a few moments, and his sneer widens into a bitter smile.

"Boy. Come," he orders, and turns to leave.

Vincent, his face slipping into the blank mask he always wears around Hojo gets up obediently.

I find myself trembling in fury and this does not cease, even after the echo of their footsteps has long died away. Taking a look at my face, Rachael sighs. After putting a gentle hand on my arm, she begins, neatly and efficiently, to clean up, then leaving me alone in the still-decorated room. I look around at the library Vince and I laboured over, the bright spangles and banners now seeming to mock me with their very cheeriness. The few curses I utter aloud to Hojo's existence seem empty, only exemplifying my complete helplessness in this situation.

Personally, I don't believe in mutilating or hurting myself to relief my feelings, but this time it is almost too overwhelming – I strike the table with a clenched fist, with a satisfying bang that eases the anger just a little. Even the pain helps clear my head.

I'm not sure how long I've been sitting here. Long enough. Rachael left hours ago, somehow knowing not to talk to me as I seethe in rage.

The sound of the metal door tells me that the jerk is back, with Vincent.

Today, as usual, some lackey is carrying Vince over his shoulder like a sorry sack of potatoes. To my consternation, Vince, if that is possible, looks even worse than he normally does after one of Hojo's sessions.

If Vincent were smaller, I would grab him out of that guy's _tender _grasp, but Vince being the size and weight he is now, I am hardly able to walk supporting his weight, let alone carry him. I can only tail along behind them like some sort of abandoned puppy, feeling even worse than I already feel with every step I take.

Vince is deposited as gently as he always is, adding more fuel to the fire of my anger. I rush forward to check if he is alright, cursing myself for taking all this silently and cursing Hojo even more for subjecting Vince to this.

Hojo's cold voice surprises me, cutting through the silence as he speaks. "Yuffie-_chan_," he says, and the patronising tone that he uses almost drives me wild. "You might want to sit out tonight's session." Leaving me with only that enigmatic statement, he is gone, cold iron staring at me where he stood.

From where I am kneeling next to Vince, I reach out a hand to touch his cold forehead. It is clammy, and I can see that his face and hair are damp with sweat. He is breathing rapidly but shallowly, his veins are sticking out, too clearly, more than I like. His thin frame, stretched out by rapid growth and a small appetite for food looks almost skeletal, and I take in the horror of what Hojo is doing to him, almost all over again.

The resolve in my head, that has always been a _someday _finally strengthens enough. No longer someday. The day we leave will be today. After Vince recovers from his monster moment, we are getting out of here. I already have a tentative plan in place in my head, one that I have been delaying, for far too long. Vince is ready, more than able to fend for himself, even if I am not with him: but of course, I plan to be.

I brush the matted hair off Vince's forehead, watching carefully for signs of the monster that will emerge. After witnessing the transformation that many times, I've learnt to see some of the warning signals, and take precautions. After all, I won't do Vince any good if I've been badly mauled by the monster in the early part of the transformation.

Without warning, Vincent's hand shoots out, clutching my upper arm so tightly I can feel his fingers digging into my flesh. Abruptly, his hand lengthens and changes, becoming the deadly claws that are now too close for comfort. I wrench madly, trying to escape, but the grasp he has is a little too strong.

The transformation this time is faster than I've ever seen it, and the beast seems even larger than before. The sharp claws that hold me down are already slicing into my flesh, even as his body writhes in the metamorphosis.

With a strength born out of desperation, I wrench my arm free, his razor claws tearing into my skin as I leap away. The pain is nothing, but I can feel blood trickling freely, dripping down my fingers to land with soft plats onto the floor.

The beast has fully emerged, and he turns his brutish face towards me, teeth bared in an aggressive snarl. I always find it so creepy that he and Vince have the same eyes, the same beautiful liquid pools of garnet red, but without Vince's quick intelligence when he is in beast form. This time however, as I look into his eyes, I almost let loose a horrified scream. I can swear that this time, it is not the beast who is looking at me – it's Vince. He is looking out at me, full of hurt and shame and anger and I don't know what else, even as the monster snarls and lunges wildly at me.

"Vince?" I whisper in dismay, barely avoiding the first slash at my face. I can see his eyes plead forgiveness from me silently, and I can see the desperation in them. I can only imagine the struggle within himself that he is going through now.

I have somehow always thought of the beast Vincent and the human Vincent as two different entities, but with this latest cruel step from Hojo, he has in some way merged them, two consciousnesses into one body at one time.

He is faster now, faster than even me, and it is only by luck that I have evaded the swipes and grabs at my body so far. Every once in a while, the beast stops, trembling and roaring, and I get a pause too, to pant and recover the precious bits of strength that I need. After each brief reprieve, the sense of failure and bitterness that I see in Vince's eyes increase. _Perhaps he is trying to hold the beast back?_

With a loud roar, the blue monsters dashes towards me. This time, even as I move away, an even faster claw catches me on the side of my body, shredding through my clothes and tearing into my flesh, cutting to the bone.

Biting down on my lip, I lunge away, as far as I can, ignoring the double pains from my wounds on my arm and side. It isn't the worse injury I've ever received, but it is pretty bad. Cursing my lack of foresight for not carrying a Cure materia, I nevertheless ready myself for his next attack.

When I look into Vincent's eyes, I know the pain that I feel is probably incomparable to the pain that _he _is going through right now. I try to smile for him, at him, to let him know it's alright, that it isn't his fault, that if anyone were to blame, it would be that twisted mind who did this to him in the first place.

We play the deadly cat and mouse game, with no sign of any cessation of the monster's attacks. I try everything, from anger to entreaties to sarcasm, but today, the beast just doesn't seem to hear or respond to me. Vince the boy on the other hand seems to be listening to every word that I say, and although the monster doesn't flinch, I can see his eyes flickering and darkening with pain at my every utterance. In the end, I have to stop speaking from lack of breath and the futility of it all.

My knees suddenly buckle under me, and I realise that I am about to faint from exhaustion and blood loss. Gritting my teeth and clenching my fists and telling myself that I am the Great Ninja Kisaragi, and it would be a shame and embarrassment to _faint _while in battle doesn't seem to help at all. I start to sway back and forth, and the monster's howl as he rushes at me has a trumpet of triumph in it.

As he grasps me and slams me into the ground, even as my eyes close as the pain rushes through my entire being as I drift into unconciousness, I am still aware of hot, heavy drops of salty liquid falling on my face as a fanged visage leers over me, just within my narrowing field of vision. Vincent's tears. Vincent's crying.

_I have to do something._

* * *

**AN**: Finger twister and Niagara are real board games, both are fun and I really recommend them :D (and you really do get to steal gems from other people in Niagara too xD When I first played it, I was thinking: "Yuffie'll really like this game!"

BTW, reviewers I love you all to bits…I tell you once more, reviews really really do make my day! And as a general reply, role reversals and the Vincent-aging factor are fun =D New (or lesser used) premises are always fun to explore :D I admit, I like the uniqueness of the situation. Which was why I started this story in the first place. :)

**always-kh: **Somehow my impression of Yuffie is that she isn't really good at lying. ^^ Sneaky, but not a good liar. At least not to people who know her well enough =)

Yuffie ^^ Well, let's just say she has a plan!

**Chapter 9 –**look forward to… The Great Escape! (maybe) Yuffie and Vincent FTW!


	9. Chapter 09

Sorry about the cliffie! Will try to make up for it :)

* * *

**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter 9** _where The Great Escape finally happens_

* * *

Two things rush to my senses as I return to consciousness. One is that the searing pain is gone, but I feel sore all over, as if I've been hit by an entire airship. The second, the sound of a man, crying like a child, loudly, unashamedly and brokenly.

I stir and the sobs are cut off abruptly, with a last choking gasp.

"Vince?" I ask, sitting up and blinking a little. I'm in the bedroom, in my own bed.

"I carried you here. Rachael changed your clothes," he says, his voice quiet and subdued. He is looking away, not meeting my probing gaze.

I look down at my bare arms and touch my side gently. Only shiny scars remain where my wounds were, a sure sign of a Cure materia in action. Undoubtedly Vincent.

He keeps his head down but I can see his eyes still rimmed a little with red, and tear-stained from crying. Although physically, he now looks even older than me, I cannot help but see the little boy I used to be able to carry.

"Hey Vince," I say, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "Don't worry about it."

He grimaces, but doesn't pull away. Still he refuses to look me in the eye.

"Vince," I say, a little insistently, but he still keeps his gaze locked downwards. "Vince," I repeat, allowing some of my irritation to show in my voice. I call a few more times and still he doesn't answer. Reaching the end of my tether, I reach out and clasp both sides of his face with my hands, forcing him to look up at me. He doesn't struggle, but the look in his blood red eyes is heartbreaking. There is a dullness is there, speaking of a broken spirit, and guilt, tonnes and tonnes of guilt.

"Listen to me carefully," I tell him. I'm not going to say it isn't his fault or whisper some reassuring words, because I don't think he'll believe me, so I choose to give him something to do instead. "First, when I call your name, you respond. Got it, Vince?"

"Yes, Yuffie."

"Next. Pack. Light. Like I've taught you. Only the essentials, only as much as you can comfortably carry. Are you clear?" He blinks and nods as well as he is able, with me holding his face up that way.

"Right." I hop out of bed, taking care to conceal my wince of pain as I feel the tight flesh on the newly-healed scar protest to so much movement within so short a time. I feel terrible, but I also do not want to remain in this place any longer. I've made enough excuses, I've delayed long enough. Far too long.

Rummaging through my drawer, I pull out my old PHS, one that I've never bothered to charge up since getting here. Surprising it still starts up. These old batteries really are something.

I dial the number I've memorised a long time ago, a sense of relief in me that I'm finally getting this done.

It beeps a few times, and a hear a slight growl on the other end of the line as the other person picks up.

"Whoever the $%^ this is, this had _better _be good," I hear the grouchy voice.

"Well it's #^&% good to hear from you too," I reply.

"…" I can almost _hear _his shock.

"Chunder monkey?!"

"The one and only _White Rose of Wutai, _thank you. Use my proper title when addressing me!"

"#%&. If this is just a prank phone call in the $%^# hours of the morning..."

"No! Wait, Cid! Cid! No joke."

He pauses. "Yes kid?"

"Well. Um. Do you remember your promise to whisk me away into the sunset if ever I called for help?"

"Kid, I'm _married. _Saying stuff like that is just gonna get me into #%&$ trouble…"

"No really Cid. I need help. And erm. I have a friend. Do you think you can help the both of us get away?"

There is silence, and I can feel my pulse beating so strongly that my head throbs. Not that I don't have an Escape Plan B, just that this would have been the best…

"This isn't some sort of elopement, is this?"

Despite the gravity of the situation, I can't help but snort with laughter. "Listen Cid. It's a bit complicated, but there's this slimy git called Hojo–"

"$%^#! Say who?!"

"Slimy git called Hojo…?"

"YOU'VE BEEN IN _HOJO'S _PLACE FOR A YEAR?!"

"Er…yes?"

"OH #$%&!"

"Didn't you know?"

"Kid, if I had known to whom I was bringing you to, you would have NEVER been brought %^&# Nibelheim. #$%^! What took you so long to call me?!"

"Reasons Cid. So. Yeah. The ride away?"

"If you can get yourselves out to the same place I dropped you off at, I'll be there in twenty $^&% minutes."

"Thanks –" I begin to say, but he has already hung up.

In the time I've made the call, Vince has already packed and returned. I've sure trained him well.

Pocketing the PHS, I rummage through my own belongings, discarding the unnecessary items I've accumulated over the year, and storing the important things.

I'm done in moments, and as I open the door to leave this place for the final time, I feel a short spurt of joy in my heart, to finally be doing something, to finally be leaving this accursed place.

Vincent follows me, just slightly behind by half a step, and his silence is somehow heavier than usual. I hardly need to ask, for I already know what haunts him.

"Vince," I begin, taking a deep breath, but increasing my pace. I don't want to miss Cid at the pickup point and I'm not sure how long he will wait for us if we're late. "Listen up."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see him throw a quick glance at me, and then look away. The slump of his shoulders increase, and his head lowers.

"What did I tell you earlier? Vince."

"Yuffie," he replies, barely above a whisper.

"Listen," I hiss insistently. I know I've reasoned earlier that it wouldn't work, but I'm Yuffie, and I'm just a happy bundle of contradictions sometimes. Anyway, I can't stand Vincent trying to take on the guilt. "Whatever happened isn't your fault. If we have to blame anyone, we blame Hojo. He made you what you are! He's doing these…_things _to you."

"No," Vincent replies, his voice a low rumble that I still am getting used to. He has finally achieved his deep, rich baritone of manhood.

"Vince, you have to stop blaming yourself! It _isn't your fault_. And if I have to knock your silly head to convince you that…"

"But it is," he replies, and the listless tone in his voice tells me that he, at least, is fully convinced. "I am a monster. I am a danger to all around me."

"OH #%^!" I exclaim, breaking one of my rules to never swear in front of Vinny.

He gives me a weird look, and opens his mouth to ask the dreaded question all parents never want to hear. "Yuffie, what does #%^ mean?"

I inwardly curse myself, but realise that he would have to be told sooner or later. After all, he will be meeting Cid in a matter of minutes. This also has the added advantage of distracting him, at least for the time being.

I am saved from answering by the long unheard beat of the airship's propellers above us. Cid got here in record time.

As we wait for the rope ladder to be lowered, I grab Vince's arm.

"Are you willing to leave? Away from all this?" I know, I sound like some idiot stud seducing a young girl to elope with me.

"I'll go wherever you are," he says. And deep inside, I realise it's the same for me. Vincent, in our one year together, he's become... home to me. I'll go wherever he is too.

We climb up the rope ladder dangling down, and as soon as my feet touch the wooden deck, I can already feel my stomach start to perform little queasy rolls.

"#$% kid, you really know how to pick 'em," are the words I'm greeted with, along with the familiar whiff of cigarettes, tar and machine oil that hang around Cid like a cloud.

"What?" I turn to ask and am surprised by the bear hug that aggravates all my recently inflicted only-barely-healed wounds.

"'m sorry," Cid says, after releasing me as I desperately choke for air. "Didn't know where the #$% I was bringing you one year ago. You never told me the name of your employer."

"That's ok." I wonder why is everyone around me today showing me a guilty face as if the whole world has wronged me. That could really get to a girl's head. "Oh yeah. Cid, Vince. Vince, chain-smoking evil captain of the most horrendous bucket of bolts I've ever known." I look up to see Vince give a cold nod, exuding pure iciness, while Cid just grabs Vince's limp hand, crushing it with a quick grip.

He leans back to whisper in my ear, "Like I said, you sure know how to pick 'em. Tall, dark and pretty, eh?"

"#$%^ you," I reply, pushing Cid roughly. It's good to just see him again.

"Well it's all good to get acquainted and all, but I've got a $#%^ airship to run." With those words, he strides off, to attend to whatever he needs to do.

"Yuffie," Vincent's voice has a rather uncharacteristic coldness, which I've rarely heard before and eeriely reminds me of Hojo. Ew. He must have picked it up from him. "What are #$%, $#^# and #%^$ and why do you and that man keep on repeating those words?"

_Oh man. _I've never explained the birds and the bees to Vince before, and even defining any of those words, especially _that _word would be a problem. And why is he being so stiff and standoffish? Has Cid somehow offended him?

Looking at him looking at me, I come to the best (and easiest solution) at hand. "CIIIIIIID!" I yell as loud as I can.

He comes running back gratifyingly fast. "WHAT? Did that $^$ Hojo send his troops…" and he breaks off when he sees my too-innocent face. "Oh $^*."

"Cid. You're a man, and a married one at that. I assume one day, you will plan to have little Cids, and when you have little Cids, you will eventually have to explain the birds and the bees, and also all those expletives that exit your mouth, to those little Cids. Understandably, that must be a matter of concern to you, and as such, I shall provide you with an opportunity today to practice." I try to sound as serious as I am able, throwing in as many words as I can. That's my best strategy when manipulating people. Confuse them with many words.

"What?"

"Vince here knows nothing of where babies come from, of the _bad _things of the world, and so on and so forth. Do be a good father figure and educate him? Please?" I make my best puppy dog face at him.

"Kid, that guy looks older than _you._ I'm sure he #$% knows more than you do too, with a face like that –"

"Cid, it's complicated and I promise to tell you all about it soon, but _he –_" I point to Vincent, "–need an education, and since he lacks a decent parental figure to do that," I point at Cid, "_You _will have to fulfill that role. Hear ye, hear ye, the Princess of Wutai has spoken. I shall now retire to that far side of the deck where I will be emptying the contents of my guts to the skies, while you two get nice and cosy and acquainted."

With those parting words, I run to the side, already feeling the first heaves making their way up my throat.

I don't think I'll ever know what Cid said to Vince, but I'll give a lot to find out.

Later, once my stomach has been completely emptied of its contents and I have a brief reprieve from the nausea and pain and vomiting, Vince comes to stand beside me, a bit of a distance away, which is wise, as I'm sure I smell of puke.

"So how was it?" I say, raising my eyebrows at him.

He has a slightly dazed look on his face, and as he looks at me, I can see he is still digesting that glut of information he never knew.

"There is something I still do not understand."

Inwardly, I sigh. Trust Cid not to do a good job. I brace myself for the inevitable. After all, I've taught Vince much of what he knows. Why not this too?

"Go ahead. Ask."

"So from what I grasped of his explanation, every time you use …that word, you are desiring intimate relations with the person you address it to?"

"What?!"

"After explaining human reproduction in depth and detail..." As Vincent says this, he goes slightly pink, a fact I store for private amusement later. "...he gave me the definitions of the other words. According to its definition, when you say… _that_ word, it is some sort of…expression of desire for intercourse?"

"No!" I can't believe Cid bungled up that badly. "It's…a way to express feelings. Not necessarily of desire for...argh. Usually more of anger. But when I use it with Cid, it's…sort of a form of affection. _But not that kind of affection,_" I add, seeing the confused look on Vince's face. "They let us vent out feelings." The look he gives me is of blank incomprehension. I think I may have raised him too well. "Let's just say that they are words never expressed before polite society, but Cid and I aren't exactly the conventional type of people. Don't ever use those words unless in the grip of great emotion. If I hear you swearing around, I _will _wash your mouth out with soap," I say, echoing the many mothers before me. I sound like a prude, but hey, Vince is practically a child to me, and no parent desires to see their kid running around cussing their heads off.

"I...do not understand."

"Great Wutaian philosophers say that is the path to enlightenment," I reply, grinning, hoping that this will bring a change of topic and also lighten the rather funny mood this discussion has brought about.

He throws me a quick, red-eyed Vinny-glare that he has been prone to lately as his body and mind matured. I dread the coming day when he will chide me for childishness. I am glad for the distraction this whole incident has produced though. The more time Vince spends trying to figure these things out, the less he will have to mull over his guilt about hurting me.

Vincent tries to sit next to me throughout the trip but I shoo him away, telling him that there is no point in him watching me vomit (or trying to) when he should be getting some rest to prepare himself for the journey ahead. I haven't talked to Cid about where we're going, but anywhere far away from Hojo would be good. However, whenever I try to stumble up to him to ask him if he's willing to set us down somewhere remote and hidden, he just grunts and continues steering the airship. Thing I've noticed about most men is they lack the ability to multitask.

Between the vomiting and the brief rests I have while too tired to vomit, the flight goes by, and I realise as the airship comes to a stop that we are hovering just outside the fringes of Midgar, the rotting pizza of Gaia.

"Ew," I say.

"#$^& ew is right," Cid says, coming beside me to look at the city. "$^%* place that."

"Why are we here?"

"There's some people I want you to meet. If you've had dealings with Hojo, I'm sure they'll want to speak with you."

"Friends of yours?"

"Yes."

"But you don't even know what's happened!"

"Trust me kid, we treasure any information, any at all about Hojo. #$^&, that man's slipperier than an eel."

"What sort of people are these?"

"They're… rebels."

"Ooh. I like that. What are they rebelling against?"

"Against Hojo. Against Shinra. Against this #%^ way of life that is sapping our Planet."

"Nice. What do these people call themselves?"

"AVALANCHE."

* * *

**AN**: Heh heh heh.

Sorry, due to lack of time, no reviewer comments! (but this doesn't mean I love you guys any less!)

Did a quick read through and didn't notice any burning questions, so there.

BTW, if anyone's wondering, Vinnie's physical age in this chapter is** nineteen** … (so haha, he's technically older than Yuffie now – who is seventeen, in case you guys lost count ^_~).

And how oh how could we ever have a FFVII story without the rest of the lovely cast of AVALANCHE making at least one appearance? ^_~


	10. Chapter 10

I'm aware that the introduction of some of the following characters might cause certain controversies (e.g. hints of pairings, OOCness etc). I do have rather strong opinions on how the Tifa/Cloud/Aerith love triangle should go and they are demonstrated very visibly in the following chapter.

I hope nevertheless that it will not be too distressing to any of my dear readers, and if you're reading this fic, I assume you're probably at least marginally a Yuffentine fan, and the future Yuffentine element will definitely not change about this story (:

This chapter is dedicated to all you lovely readers+reviewers who did not give up on this story despite the looooong gap between updates.

* * *

**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter 10** _in which we meet the noble characters of AVALANCHE  
_

* * *

I hate Midgar. It's as if it was deliberately built to be ugly, what with the rusting mechanical structures randomly scattered round, the general lack of sunlight, the stenches, and of course, signs of Shinra's filthy touch everywhere. What bothers me even more is the ugliness that resides in the hearts of the people – astronomical crime rates, poverty beyond comprehension in the slums, the Shinra company and its little minions, taking, taking, taking and never putting anything back in.

_If Shinra gets their filthy little claws into Wutai_… The shudder of pain causes me make a quick intake of breath. _Not as long as __**this **__Kisaragi still has blood in her veins. _I am suddenly reminded of the agreement Godo had with Hojo, about the gil he had sold me for. Knowing that cunning fox of my old man, he probably already got it all in one lump sum. He had better.

Cid is looking around rather furtively as we walk throw the alleys of Sector 7 slums, moving instinctively in a defensive crouch, holding his spear ready.

"Is there anything I should be worried about?" I ask, reaching to my back where my shuriken is strapped. The feel of its weight on my back again after so long is reassuring. Vince is carrying one of my spares, but I somehow feel that the weapon doesn't suit him though he uses it competently enough. Maybe after the interview with AVALANCHE I'll see about getting him a suitable weapon…

"This is $%^$& Midgar. There's always ^)#%&^* something to #$%#^ worry about. #$%#^ Shinra's got all its $^#%$ agents out. Then sometimes some ^*%$% monsters make their #*$&# way in" The stress seems to be causing him to swear more than usual.

I open my mouth to bug him about where he is bringing us to but something tells me to shut up.

After a few blocks, we end up stopping in front of a rather seedy looking bar. "Cid! This isn't the time to be stopping for a _drink_!" I protest, but inside I'm rather looking forward to something warm in the dank humidity that is Midgar.

Cid doesn't reply but instead walks to the bar, opening the door and walking in. With a shrug at Vince, I follow.

Inside, a small girl is wiping beer glasses and humming. Besides her, Cid, Vincent and me, there is no one else in here.

"Hey is it even legal for a child to be in a bar serving alcohol?" My big mouth is off before I have time to think it through, as usual.

"This is the safest place for her to be," a quiet voice says behind me, almost startling me. She had entered the bar so silently that even my trained senses had been severely strained to catch her passage. I turn calmly, for to show any sign of shock is a weakness; Cid called AVALANCHE his friends, but I'm not too sure if they will regard me or Vincent positively.

Ninja training or not, my jaw drops when I behold the loveliness of the woman, who walks over to the bar to place a protective arm around the girl, giving her a hug in the process. Her lithe grace and fluid movements tell me that she is a trained fighter, but her delicate face could almost match up to my mother's, and my mother was a peerless beauty, at least in my book. Lustrous, long dark hair, dark eyes with a hint of burgundy, a slim waist, and what a rack. Devastatingly beautiful face and a hot body to match. Look at the legs on that girl, I tell myself admiringly. Some girls have all the luck.

"Yuffie, Vincent, meet Tifa. She owns this place, and that's Marlene," Cid says.

"Nice to meet'cha," I say, nodding my head a little. Vincent has been silent ever since we entered Midgar. I'm guessing he still isn't too used to having so many people around. I sidle nearer to him and give him a give nudge and hiss under my breath, "_Be polite! Greet people or they'll all fault how I brought you up!"_

"Greetings," Vincent says, bowing from the waist, Wutaian style. I roll my eyes a little. When have _I _ever taught him to say hi to a hot lady with "_Greetings._"

"Hello," Tifa says, looking at both of us and then turning to Cid. He reads the question in her eyes, and responds.

"They're with me. They probably have some information you should hear."

"Is it…?" She leaves the question hanging in the air. Cid nods curtly, and I observe as an unspoken signal passes in between them. Interesting. Normally that depth of communication emerges only after you've known the other person for a really long time or if you've faced death together.

"Bring 'em down. I'll vouch for them," Cid says, biting into the cigarette that he has just placed into his mouth. "At least I'll vouch for the girl, and she says she vouches for the boy."

"Aww, Cid. Didn't know you trusted me that much. I always _knew _you had something for me," I bat my eyelashes at him, causing him to snort. I'm surprised he isn't cussing at me, but perhaps even Cid has the decency not to swear in front of children.

"Let's go then," Tifa says, walking to the door, and to my surprise, she closes it. She then walks over to a rather beat up pinball machine in the corner, and after fiddling with it for a while, I hear a slight click and whirr of machinery. She steps into the newly revealed elevator, beckoning the rest of us to come.

As we descend, I take advantage of the close proximity to ogle at Tifa. She's a good few inches taller than me, and her perfume, whatever it is, smells lovely. I notice that Vincent on the other hand is studiously watching the ceiling, not even stealing any small glances. I start to wonder if I might have erred somewhere in his education. Of course though, if I consider it, he's probably no older than six or seven. Maybe his hormones have yet to catch up.

The doors open into a fairly large, but clutter chamber. My eyes are instant drawn to a furry stuffed toy cat on a ponderous looking Moogle. "Is that some sort of mascot?" I ask Tifa, motioning towards the pair, which seem rather out of place in a rebel group's headquarters, as I assume this place is.

"Excuuuuuuse me. _Mascot? _That is _not _a suitable word to describe me! I make great contributions to this motley crew! Without me, they would _completely _fail!" The cat and the Moogle bound forward to face me. Hopping excited and brandishing what looks like a microphone, the cat continues, "I'm Cait Sith! I'll have you know, I am a _valuable _double agent."

"Right. So you spy for the other side. I wonder why they keep you here." I'm not sure what prompted me to say that, but I do regret it the instant it's out.

"TIFA! Why have you brought some ingrate with no manners, who cannot appreciate the greatness of what I do, to our HQ?!"

"Shut up, cat," Cid's voice rumbles out. "They're guests."

"Cloud said he'll be back soon." The owner of this new voice emerges from between two couches where he had been sitting. A large lionlike beast pads out, and I give a low cry of delight.

"Nanaki!" I rush forward, throwing my arms around him carelessly. He endures my embrace, and even touches his forehead to mine, a rare demonstration of affection.

"Hello Yuffie. It is good to see you again." Nanaki does not smile, but his single golden eye is twinkling with a spark that I recognise from long ago. Ages ago, the first time I ever ran away from home, I ended up in Cosmo Canyon and began my acquaintance with this feline creature. He talks like an old man, but I've been told that for his kind, he is only my age. Beneath his big words and quiet demeanour lies a fierce warrior but also sometimes, a cub just willing to have fun. His grandfather, Bugenhagen has always maintained that I corrupted Nanaki, and many of our youthful exploits are still remembered by the inhabitants of Cosmo Canyon with terror. I cried for weeks after an exasperated Godo came to pick me up and cart me back to Wutai. Nanaki was the first friend I made after losing my mother. Both of us had lost family – somehow I think that was what had drawn us together in the first place.

"What's with all those scars and that tattoo? Aren't you too old to go through teenage rebellion?!" I say, touching the numerals.

Nanaki growls a little in the back of his throat. "A human did this to me."

"So yer know Red?" the room's third occupant rumbles from where he is sitting. He is a large man, tall even when seated. His most notable feature is probably the hugeass gun he has _attached _to his arm.

Remembering my manners, I scrabble to my feet, but before I can speak, Cid interrupts. "I think I hear someone coming down."

The doors open, and out steps a blonde man, with a frown on his face. Tifa goes towards him instantly and says a few words quietly. He whirls at her, his face contorting in an angry snarl, but then abruptly, he stops before he says anything. With a sigh, he flops down onto a couch, running his hands through his already messy hair, intensifying his chocobo-like appearance. He conveys a deep sense of unhappiness and frustration at one shot.

I take a look at Tifa's rather downcast face and think "O boy, looks like some sort of complicated matters of the heart here." He suddenly notices Vincent and me, and throws a questioning glance in our direction.

Tifa motions for everyone to take a seat before settling herself down next to the large man with the gun arm.

"Cid, I think you should begin?" she says quietly.

"Nothing much to #^&* say. This kid here's Yuffie Kisaragi of Wutai. The boy's Vincent. She's live with #$%# Hojo for a year."

This proclamation is greeted with various degrees of shock from the group all around, with Cait Sith declaring, "Now how do you know _she_ isn't some Shinra spy?!"

"Cid, some corrections there," I say, deciding to speak up for myself, as always. "I didn't live with Hojo, I lived in a place he owned, to raise his son. I only saw him once in a while, and most of the time, only briefly."

"That's more than most of us have seen of him in years," Nanaki states quietly. There are a few nods from the rest of the room's occupants, and I observe various expressions, ranging from hatred, anger and fear flash quickly upon their countenances.

"You know, before I start talking, can I ask some questions first?" I suddenly remember that Vince _is _Hojo's son, and from the dark glances these people are exchanging at the mention of Hojo's name, I'm not too sure if that's something I want announcing publicly. "What's up with your obsession with Hojo?"

There is a brief moment of silence before Nanaki steps forward, his single eye gleaming. "The human who captured me and experimented on me was Hojo," he says, his voice rumbling with a barely concealed growl. "He wanted to force some twisted union between myself and another one of our comrades that you will meet shortly." His tail starts lashing around wildly in agitation.

"Don't have anything against Hojo pers'nally. Just Shinra and all their $#%. Destroyed my town," the gun-arm man adds.

"Shinra destroyed my plane," Cid ventures.

"That's why you're joining a revolution against them?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Look kid, that's my personal vendetta. But they've done a lot of %^% over the years, as Barret said."

Tifa, her voice low says, "They destroyed my hometown and killed my family."

"It is as you see," the blonde man states rather cryptically, looking right at me. I gasp, realising now that his electric blue eyes have a strange glow.

"You're a SOLDIER!" I exclaim, my body already crouching into an instinctive defensive position. I should have noticed his costume! One of Shinra's elite troops, their formidable reputation of efficiency and ruthlessness was well known.

He laughs, mirthless and bitter. "I was never a SOLDIER. This is merely a result of Hojo's experiments."

"Me! Me! I just don't like what Shinra does to the environment. And being a double agent is cool!" Cait Sith pips in.

Great. All (except the talking cat with a microphone) have personal grudges against Shinra, and two have reason to hate Hojo in particular.

"One more thing – " I say.

"Girl, if you're gonna go on with all these questions and delays, we're really gonna start suspecting yer of spying," the gun-arm man says, impatience showing in his voice.

"One more thing," I say, refusing to be intimidated. "Whatever I say to all of you now, I want your word that you will not attempt harm on either Vincent or me, or attempt to restrain us if we wish to leave. Cid and Nanaki here, I trust their integrity, so in turn I will trusts yours if you promise not to do anything to us."

Almost in unison, they nod. Tifa leans forward, her eyes intent on me, while the blonde leans back and crosses his arms.

"Well about a year ago, my father receives a letter from that slimy git Hojo where he offers to buy me for a goodly sum of money. Godo accepted the offer, and I was bundled off to Nibelheim."

At these words, I hear a small exclamation from Tifa. "Sorry," she says, before motioning for me to continue.

It all comes out quickly, with me barely taking a breath in between. "So I get there and there's this kid, and he's Hojo's son, and he only speaks Wutaian, but anyway, so I eventually realise that Hojo is experimenting on his son, and one day I can't stand it and decide to run away and I call Cid and he says he has some pals called AVALANCHE who could do with more information about Hojo and Shinra and here I am."

I am greeted with a whole array of replies almost instantly. "Hojo has another son?", "I told you the $^$#^%# might have based his operations somewhere in that area!" and "You left the child behind when you fled?"

The last question came from Tifa, who is now looking at me with just a slight tinge of reproach.

Before I can reply, Cait cuts in, pointing at Vince. "So who's he? Some manservant? Your _boyfriend _that you couldn't leave behind when you ran away?"

I yelp in protest, and Vince, standing quietly beside me stirs, as if about to speak, while Cait Sith does a strange dance while calling out taunts and insults. The room erupts into a cacophony of noise, with Cid and the gun-man yelling at Cait to shut up, and Tifa attempting to calm everyone down.

"Silence." This statement, spoken with authority, comes from the blonde. "Let her speak."

"I _didn't _leave the child behind!" I say indignantly. "I brought him with me. It's Vincent."

Silence greets my pronouncement, and I hear Cait mutter in a sotto voce, "Liar."

"Look. All of your have seen Hojo's twisted experiments, and some even experienced time in his hands. You see Vince as he is now, but I remember him one year ago, when he barely came up to my waist!" Remembering what he was when we first met, and what he has become in this span of time, and our experiences together starts a prickling in my eyes that will become tears, but I refuse to cry in front of these strangers. "If you refuse to believe me it's fine. We're leaving, Vince."

"Wait." Tifa's voice stops me. She turns to the blonde. "Cloud…"

The man called Cloud laughs, and once again, his bitterness strikes me. "So we take in another son of Hojo? He seems particularly good at alienating them."

"Don't let that cloud your judgment."

Am I the only one who got the pun there?

"Why hasn't _he _ever mentioned that he had a brother that Hojo was experimenting on? He was supposedly so _high up_ in the Shinra ranks. How many more secrets of Hojo's is he keeping? How do we even know he is loyal to the cause?" Cloud is in full voice now, and although he is a stranger to me, I can tell that he is deeply frustrated and bitter, and near breaking point. "What sort of traitor have we embraced into our fold?"

"Cloud!" This is a new voice, and two people emerge through the elevator doors. Evidently, they heard at least the end of Cloud's tirade. A woman, an equal to Tifa in beauty, though perhaps lacking her voluptuousness, steps forward. She has a frown of her face, evidently disapproving of Cloud's outburst - _more puns! I'm on a roll_. Her companion, a tall man with cascading silver hair, carrying an impossibly long sword, dressed in various shades of black and grey, is staring at Vincent intently. Interestingly, both the new arrivals have bright green eyes, though the man's has the same unearthly glow as Cloud.

"You're alive," the man states to Vincent, his face expressionless. Without another word, he sweeps around and back into the elevator - _how does that sword fit in there?_ - followed by the woman, who throws a quick glance over her shoulder at the rest of us before running into the lift just before the doors close.

"Aerith…" Cloud calls out, with no life in his voice. He gets up and glares around the room. "He ran away to hide! He's been lying to us, he's going to betray us, he's planning _things…_" That man is getting slightly hysterical, from my expert observation.

Tifa gets up and walks calmly up to him. When they are face to face, she lifts her hand and slaps him, with a resounding crack. "If you continue to act in this childish manner, you no longer have the right to lead AVALANCHE." As she storms towards the elevator, I can see that her eyes are filled with tears.

Cloud remains in the room for a few more moments, before walking to the elevator and exiting the room, leaving the rest of us sitting in uncomfortable silence.

* * *

Phew! This is the longest chapter I've written in a while. So many character introductions is tiring!

To all the FFVII universe fans, I shall attempt to list some of the differences now for your peace of minds.

1. Jenova doesn't really exist in this story. Keep this in mind because it affects the plot a lot.

2. Cloud has been Mako enhanced, but since Jenova doesn't exist, he doesn't have any Jenova cells.

3. Thus he and Sephiroth do not have any strange mental link.

4. For this story, Sephiroth did not burn down the facility in Nibelheim and he did not kill Tifa's family or destroy her home up in the mountains. Some other Shinra goon did it. Ok? (yes I know I am making things very conveniently easy for me, but it _is _my fic :P And I don't really want to go in depth into that area :X )

5. Sephiroth doesn't want to destroy the world and use it to ride to other planets on it with his mother, because there is no Jenova (surprise surprise).

6. Obviously, Sephiroth is _not _Lucrecia's son. But he has been Mako enhanced too.

7. He's probably not insane. But that remains yet to be seen :D

Feel free to ask any questions, and if they don't involve plot spoilers, I will answer :)

Now to answer some :

And **serenbach, **to answer your question, yes he is more or less mentally nineteen, but there are exceptions to that; after all, we also gain maturity through experience as well as through the normal aging process (think of sixty year olds you may know that still think and act like they're fifteen), and Vince hasn't really had that many years in the world. Additionally, his accelerated aging will undoubtedly have mental and psychological affects, which I may or may not examine in the course of the fic :) . I would assume emotionally also that he has not had the opportunity to learn and grow as much, so when I say he is mentally nineteen, he has the developed intelligence of a nineteen year old, but may be lacking in other areas (this long explanation may just be my own self justification of "Yuffie? A pedophile? Of _course _not! *innocent eyes*".


	11. Chapter 11

Sephiroth? Sephiroth who? Since when was that name mentioned at any time in this fic?

-angelic smile-

Just kidding! Fwahaha. Either the dude in the previous chapter _was _Sephy, or I pulled off a really lame ripoff ^^

And yes, yes, I included a third person narrative in this chapter. Because I can and because I've planned out that scene so long in my head it would be a pity not to have it in this fic simply because I'm stuck on my first person.

* * *

**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter 11** _in which we get a third person narrative for the first time in this fic!  
_

* * *

"So," I say, when the silence gets unbearable. I've mentioned before that I _really _don't like these long uncomfortable periods right? "Anyone know any good jokes?"

Silence. Talkative bunch, this lot.

"Right. Ugh. Never mind." I think for a while, and thankfully, something comes to mind, providing me with a perfect escape plan. "Are there any good weapon shops around here?"

"Yes," Nanaki answers as everyone else ignores me. "Do you require anything?"

"Well, I'm assuming now that you have my information, we're free to go? I want to get some decent arms for Vince, restock on Potions and stuff, look at materia..." Of course materia isn't the most important thing! I said it last, didn't I?!

"I will lead you there," Nanaki offers, getting up.

"Thanks, Red," I say, grateful to be out of this room, at least for a while.

We do not speak as we leave 7th Heaven, but as we leave the bar behind, Nanaki clears his throat and begins, "It is rather unfortunate that you witnessed a rather unbecoming side of our leader today. Internal conflict within any group is not only discomfiting, it is eventually self destructive. AVALANCHE is hitting a particularly low point at the moment. With hope, he will see the wisdom of letting go of his prejudice and jealousy," Nanaki says, his voice a low rumble. I can see Vince following silently a little behind us but he doesn't seem inclined to speak. As usual.

"Love. Makes all men go mad, hey. That Aerith chick is cute, though."

"I am told she is, and more, by your human standards."

"So what's up with her and that silver haired dude? That's obviously what's eating Cloud up."

"I do not know," he says, hesitates and continues, "But as you can see, Cloud is greatly affected by it."

"He's blind. There's Tifa right? She's as hot, or maybe hotter than Aerith. Can't he just see she's nuts for him?"

"Cloud has always been rather oblivious to matters of the heart. And it is also part of the nature of humans to strive for what they do not have, and ignore what is easily within reach."

"Bummer." I love that word. I could say it all day sometimes.

"Would you mind staying a little longer with us, Yuffie? I believe that you do have important information somehow, and if this wasn't happening, we would have been able to carry out the questioning regarding Hojo more efficiently."

"Sure," I say. "Just because it's you who asked." As we walk on, suddenly some of the things AVALANCHE had been saying catch up with me. "Vince!" I say, pausing, almost causing him to walk into me.

"Yes Yuffie?"

I really wish he wasn't so _tall. _I'm going to get a neck crick, having to look so high up to see his face. If he is _still _going to grow, I'm going to have height insecurity issues soon. "Was that silver haired guy really your brother?"

"…Yes," Vince answers, a bit slowly, in Wutaian. He lapses into it once in a while. It's really cute.

"Aren't you sure about it?"

"I never did see him much."

"When did you last see him?"

"A little over a year ago."

"Why did he say such strange words when he saw you?"

"I do not know."

"What do you call him again?"

"Sephiroth-_aniue_."

_Aniue? _Interesting. Sephiroth? Somehow that sounds rather familiar…

"Sephiroth has never mentioned you, at least never directly," Nanaki adds. "He is a deep man, one with many hidden facets and secrets. It is understandable that we are wary of him, but not for the wrong reasons." He frowns a little.

A little bell starts ringing in my head, triggering a whole alarm system. "Sephiroth? _The _Sephiroth? The greatest leader of SOLDIER that Shinra ever had? _The greatest warrior of our time? __**That **_Sephiroth?!" My voice is rising in an excited squeak. "VINCE!" I say, grabbing him.

"Yes, Yuffie?" he asks, looking down at me, puzzled.

"_I WANT AN AUTOGRAPH! _Why didn't you _tell _me that he was your brother?!"

"I…did not know it mattered."

"He's a _legend_ you know!"

"I see we may have to restrain you later if he's in the same room," Nanaki says, his tone amused.

"No way!" I exclaim, sticking my tongue out. "Anyway, what is the glorious leader of SOLDIER doing among your motley crew, no offense intended."

"None taken. He turned up some time ago, and we thought he had been sent to eliminate us, but instead, he asked to be allowed to join us instead. As you can see, he has yet to gain the trust of our leader, but that is tempered by Cloud's jealousy."

"What about you, Nanaki? What do you think of him?"

"I do not know. However, Aerith trusts him, and she is seldom, if ever, wrong. She claims that his support of our cause is genuine, and he does want to see the end of Shinra's regime."

"Well, if he _is _so powerful, why didn't he do it on his own?"

"Although he is strong, Sephiroth is but one man, Yuffie. Even he cannot stand against the combined might of Shinra, or so he says."

"A lot to think about and digest here," I say, forgetting I'm not alone. Seeing Nanaki and Vince glance at me, I make a face. "Sheesh, I need to stop thinking out loud."

_..interlude__.._

"...Must human hearts blossom in spring, like all other flowers?  
And of even this bright flame of love, shall there be only ashes?"

_Li Shanyin, _To One Unnamed II

_She knew better than to call his name just then. Caught up in the grip of emotion, of self loathing, of anger; he would lash out at her, she would retaliate and they would both end up hating themselves afterward. _

_He did not move although he knew she stood there watching him, guilt rushing through him as he remembered, a sick sensation burning in his stomach._

_Not wanting to intrude onto his thoughts, but desiring that her presence be made known to him, she placed a hand on his shoulder, a bit timidly, for she could never know how he would react to her actions. _

"_What have I done?" he asked aloud quietly, more to himself than to her, though he could feel her love and sympathy flowing into him through that smallest of contacts, intangible and yet the only things that kept him anchored to sanity. _

_She would forgive him. She always forgave him, no matter what darkness he revealed to her, no matter what ugliness had been drawn out of him, no matter how the emptiness that he was left with inside threatened to engulf her light and destroy them both. _

_He didn't know what he had ever done to deserve her presence by his side, even after all the times he had hurt her. He had no right to hold her, although right now, he ached just for the reassurance to be embraced by another living being. _

_She was losing the ability to distinguish between what she ought to do, and what she wanted to do. Duty and obligation crossed lines haphazardly with her desires and wants. _

_It was not her face that constantly engaged his thoughts, it was not her name that he cried out in the dark when the nightmares encroached. _

_As she stood there, watching him as he struggled, she fought fiercely to keep her tears from falling. He did not need her crying on him now._

_He tried to turn to speak to her, to apologise, but he could not move - it was as if his body was controlled by another, and the words remained as they always had, pent up within him. _

_..end interlude.._

"This shop… is not very impressive." I barely bother to lower my voice, bending down so I am speaking right into Nanaki's ear.

"Midgar slums are hardly the best place for what you seem to wish for -" he rumbles back.

"Come on, Red! Where are the _real _dealers? The stuff here would break with a gust of wind, let alone stand real combat! Money isn't an issue.."

His tail starts lashing around in a certain pattern, which tells me he is thinking hard. "If I recall, Barret did mention an establishment that helps him with that gun arm of his. The legitimacy of that shop is rather questionable though..."

"Basically he doesn't pay taxes to Shinra? Sounds good, let's go there instead!" I drag both Vince and Nanaki out of the store, where Nanaki navigates through a couple more dark alleyways where we then stand at a rather dubious door, covered with graffiti and Leviathan-knows what else.

"There's some sort of password involved if I remember correctly..."

"OPEN UP THIS DOOR, THERE'S A FIRE!" I yell, banging loudly. I'm not lying! If he doesn't open his door, well, the handy Mastered Fire materia that I have solves little problems like this...

I hear pounding footsteps and leap backwards just in time as the door flies open, a man in what looks like his nightgown running out. His hands are filled with stacks and stacks of messy looking documents. He looks around for the fire, dropping more paper as he turns.

Of course, by this time, I am already inside, grinning at him.

"$^#$%, the old fire ploy," he says, sighing ruefully. "It gets me every time, but I can never be too sure."

"Sorry about that. We just need weapons, and _good _ones, not like that poor excuse of a weapons shop we just went to back there with knifes that you can't even use to cut butter…"

"The stuff I have doesn't come cheap..."

"...but I'm willing to pay whatever's necessary," I finish for him, cutting right to the point.

"Good." I follow him in, beckoning the slightly incredulous and disapproving Vince and Nanaki.

"So what're you after?"

"Firearms, materia and some standard healing stuff."

A glint comes into the trader's eye, and I can almost see him rubbing his hands together gleefully in his mind.

"I _do _know quality goods when I see them, so don't even think of pawning off some low grade Mithril junk," I warn him. He looks a little less pleased, but covers it up well.

He stops us in a room and disappears through another door, where I hear some clinks and whirrs before he reappears and motions for us to enter.

I let out a low whistle as I walk into the room – _this guy really has some __**good **__stuff. _

Nanaki seem to help himself, and he trots off to look at some of the shining materia that is on display. I'm tempted to do so too, but I have other things in mind.

"Let's see, priority number one. I want a gun." Vincent, standing silently beside me, gives me a strange look. He knows that's one of the weapons I never use, although I have taught him about them, as I have for almost every available form of weaponry on Gaea that I would get my hands on while in Nibelheim.

"For yourself?"

"Nopes."

"Hmm...can you give me any idea what you're looking for?"

"It has to be cool."

There is a pained look on his face. "Miss, that is seldom a requirement when you come to this sort of store – our customers look for quality rather than aesthetics."

"See, the whole reason _why _I come to this sort of store in the first place is because I _know _you have good quality stuff, and since it's going to cost a bomb _anyway, _it might as well look good, right? From experience, good weaponry, because their makers take pride in what they produce, tends to look fantastic anyway."

A smile forms on his face, seemingly almost against his will. "If you put it that way, something just came in recently, that take your fancy. Wait here."

He disappears into some mysterious passageway, and I turn to Vince. "Vince, I have a mission for you. Go pick out two knives from the array there, and bring them to me. One will be for you and the other for me. Match the knives to our heights and weights, make sure the materials are suitable." He nods and walks away, and I watch him, smiling inwardly. This is a sort of test too, as are many of the things I ask him to do. I am confident that he will succeed though.

"This is it." The owner of the shop returns, bearing a leather case reverently in his arms. He opens it with a flourish, to reveal a work of art. Beautiful yet deadly, a triple barreled revolver, complete with intricate engravings, based on the theme of a three headed dog. A chain is attached to the end of its grip, and I am happy to see slots for Materia on it.

Gently, I pick it up, feeling the smooth wood, the cold metal, it is a little too big for my hands to grasp comfortably, but it isn't meant for me anyway.

I ask for the price and he names it, a princely sum but not above what I had in mind anyway. For the sake of appearances, I bargain, and the deal is sealed before Vince returns. The shopkeeper whisks the box away at my instructions and I turn to smile at my charge.

"Let's see what you have," I say, lifting the knives from his grasp. I may have said it before, but I _have _taught him well, as proven by his choices.

We finally leave the store, with Vince carrying most of the things, but I choose to carry the precious black case, ignoring Vince's curious looks – he tries not to show it but I can still sense the small glances he throws at me. I think I may need to train him a little more in that area. Red has found several items for himself, and he is in a good mood, though still not particularly chatty. In this manner, we make our way back to the AVALANCHE headquarters, little knowing what had been brewing in our absence.

* * *

**AN:** _Aniue_ is a rather formal and archaic way to call your elder sibling (generally more used to refer to other people's elder siblings if ever used). But I'm you otakus already knew that :P . And yes, Vince calls Lucrecia Crecia-_neechan_. Go figure :P

_Interlude _is just a short vignette that I really wanted in this fic. I'm not going to say who the 'she/he' are, but 'she' could be more than one character at time (with different people thinking), same thing goes for 'he'. :D

**.always-kh: **Cloud's tendency to be emo all the time and his woe-is-me attitude (don'tkillmeCloudfans) irritates me (okies, I admit, he emos the most in fanfics, rather than in canon). And about his memories; Cloud was experimented on by Hojo and made his great escape (which we may or may not go into for this fic) but since no Jenova, so there was no memory imprinting, so he never thought he was Zack etc etc. So yes, he knows that he never made it to Soldier, and that could possibly be why he's a bit more bitter and less self-assured in this fic (self-inadequacy plus unrequited love plus a predilection to being all dark and depressed combo here). How/why did Cloud get taken and experimented on? _That _is something I will not reveal for the moment ;D

This chapter was very hard for me to write for some reason... but the next one gets better, I promise!


	12. Chapter 12

Holidays! I was going to make this a Christmas release, but I got too excited ^^

More happens in this chapter compared to the previous one so I hope y'all enjoy!

(Have a wonderful Christmastime with friends and family by the way!)

* * *

**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter 12** _in which Vincent runs away! Teenage rebellion in action? _:O

* * *

The tense atmosphere assaults us as soon as we enter the hideaway, with all the eyes in the room swivelling towards us as we make our entrance.

Cloud and Tifa sit on one couch, directly opposite Aerith and Sephiroth, with the rest of AVALANCHE gathered around them, sitting or standing. I can see a certain wary readiness in their stances, almost in battle ready positions, I would say. Possibly getting ready to hold Cloud and Sephiroth apart should a fight begin between them.

The glare that Cloud bears on Vincent is filled with so much malevolence that I automatically step in from of Vince, breaking Cloud's eye contact, my hand clasped protectively onto Vince's arm. Cloud and I have a short staring match, which I win, of course. Godo and I used to do that for _hours _so I've had plenty of practice eyeballing someone. I feel myself rolling my eyes in my head. _How can the leader of this group be so childish? _If it wasn't for the fact that Nanaki indicates a level of respect for him, I would be doubting this group's potency and future success in opposing Shinra.

We are barely seated before Tifa speaks up, having exchanged some silent message with Aerith. Those two seem to have some sort of mutual understanding, which I find surprising. Or perhaps not.

"Sephiroth, now that we are all gathered here, can you please explain your words earlier?"

The silver haired man, lounging gracefully by Aerith's side, looking as cool as they come, doesn't even move to blink for a while. Finally, he sighs, and stands up, moving closer to Vincent. I am still in front of Vince, so I'm not too sure if I should stand down or stay where I am, but he moves me aside, gently but firmly, until he is face to face with Vince, or to be more accurate, looking down at Vince.

Looking at them from where I stand (and unfortunately, all this looking up is going to damage my self esteem soon), you can see they're definitely related, though Sephiroth has just a touch of Hojo's arrogance, especially around his mouth, whereas I must assume that Vince looks more like their mother. Certainly, although I have tried many times, I have not been able to find much, if any, of Hojo in Vince - possibly because I am deliberately keeping myself blind - I find Hojo so repellant that even remembering that Vincent is his son gives me the chills sometimes.

Physically imposing, yet extremely good looking, in a cold, handsome sort of way, I can see why Sephiroth has the reputation of exciting the desire of females and the envy of males. Vince has always shown potential to become a fine man, but if he grows up anything like his brother... Amazing that Hojo's slimy genes could produce such fine male specimens.

_Hmm, Vinnie with Sephiroth's height or taller - that would be cool - with a touch of maturity added to his features... _I amuse myself for several moments trying to see an all-grown-up Vince that I almost miss Sephiroth speaking.

"I see the foul touch of our father's deranged mind." I'm startled, for he speaks in fluent Wutaian. Figures though – after all, Wutaian was all that Vince could speak when I first met him. Sephiroth touches the side of Vince's face briefly and then briefly clasps his shoulders before turning round to address AVALANCHE. "My words at our encounter earlier, though they may have seemed unfeeling, were elicited by surprise."

_This guy talks like Nanaki!_

"Until today, I had thought both my siblings dead." Sephiroth is silent after that statement, and Cloud begins to stir restlessly, as if about to leap to his feet and demand more information. The rest of the AVALANCHE seems to be holding their collective breaths, keeping one eye on their leader and the other on Sephiroth.

"It is hard for him to speak of it," Aerith says, her eyes fixed beseechingly on Cloud. It is interesting to watch his struggle, fighting to keep silent out of respect and love for her, but writhing from jealousy that she is speaking for Sephiroth.

"Some time over a year ago, I returned to the house where they lived for...an occasion."

Vincent, beside me, starts to tremble slightly. I grab his lower arm, the most convenient part I can comfortably reach. He doesn't look down, but only keeps his eyes fixed resolutely on his brother's back.

"I found..."

"No..." Vince's moan is so soft that I don't think anyone else heard it. Maybe Nanaki though, he's got sharp ears.

Sephiroth glances behind at Vince, and turns back. "I found my brother's corpse."

"His...corpse?" Tifa asks, her voice almost a whisper.

"He was not breathing, and his heart was not beating."

"Then...who the #%!^*%?$^$-" Cid is looking at Vince.

"Yer sed, siblings. What about the other one?" Barret asks, shrewdly.

"I found my brother's corpse," Sephiroth repeats (I wonder, is it purely for the dramatic effect?), "...and my sister next to him. Or rather, what remained of my sister."

Vincent is trembling violently now, and although I'm pulling at his arm, trying to get his attention, he doesn't respond, not even when I start calling his name frantically. Frustrated, I place both my hands on the side of his face, forcing him to look down at me. He throws me one startled look, and I see agony flash across his face right before he shakes my arm off, runs towards the elevator, and before I can stop him, he is gone.

I make a move to follow him, but Sephiroth is already there."Let's go," Sephiroth tells me, and without any further ceremony, he beckons me to the elevator, not that I need any form of encouragement to go look for Vince.

"What are you -!" Cloud. Of course it would be Cloud.

"In case the events that just transpired have escaped your attention, my brother, in some state of considerable distress, has left this establishment. He is currently alone in what I presume is an unfamiliar city to him; I for one feel that his recovery is of more importance than explanations of my past, for the moment." With that, the elevator doors close, and we whoosh upwards, with my last glance of a collectively confused and frustrated AVALANCHE. Perhaps someone should tell Sephiroth that such enigmatic words and actions only serve to fuel distrust, something he should not encourage if he is trying to integrate himself into the group. Now _I _sound like Nanaki.

Once outside, Sephiroth directs me to go left, and he heads away to the right, briefly telling me to contact Cid on the PHS if anything happens.

_Vince...where could he be? _He has probably only recently come to terms with the fact that he shares his body with a monster, and I've never been entirely clear about what happened to Lucrecia...

' "'_Cre-shya-nee hurt…'Cre-shya-nee…'Cre-shya-nee…died…" .' _The words of the monster from what seems so long ago come back to me. The questions and conclusions that I had drawn from that time rise - did Vincent the monster really..._kill _Lucrecia?

There's no point dwelling on such thoughts, I tell myself. The top priority of the moment is to find the person in question.

It's not like _I'm_ familiar with the city of Midgar, so I take to the roofs, hoping that a better vantage point will increase my chances of finding him. I'm wandering aimlessly, but as luck would have it, I see him, still running, weaving his way through the crowded rush of pedestrians. On the rooftops, I have less traffic to deal with, and so I can catch up, running alongside him, leaping from building to building.

Finally, he reaches what would be most accurately termed as rubble, and I have no choice but to follow him on the ground. He stops, and turns to me, and I can see that his trembling from earlier has not ceased.

"Stay away from me," he says, and though I know he has reasons to say what he is saying, I can still feel my heart being cut up at being rejected by him like this. It's irrational, but hey, I love this boy, and getting pushed away by someone you treat as a beloved younger brother _will_ hurt.

"Vince," I say, stepping a little nearer. I _know _a little of what I feel is definitely showing up on my face right now.

"Stay away!" His voice goes higher and nearly cracks. He moves back a few steps, and his face is twisted, as if he is trying to hold back tears.

"Don't leave..." I half-plead, but I freeze on the spot. Sure, if he runs, I can catch up, but since we're going to need to have this little discussion anyway, I don't see why we can't just settle it here.

"I _killed _her, Yuffie."

"_It isn't your fault."_

"My hands are stained with her blood. And with yours too." The look in his eyes is a combination of self-disgust and horror.

"Vince..."

"Lucrecia-_neechan_ is dead! And one day I may wake up with you dead beside me too! Or even worse, I'll be conscious as I kill you, but unable to do anything!" As he says this, I see his eyes getting duller and duller, as if these thoughts have already become reality to him. I need to put a stop to this at once, before he sets of a destructive spiral of negativity that will only lead to his despair.

"I trained you! Have you so little faith in my abilities?"

"The monster is strong and is getting stronger! No matter how good you are, one day you're going to make a mistake..." His eyes are so empty and void of life that it scares me.

"Vince, I'm not going to die on you, so stop trying to keep me away from you!" I yell at him, wanting him to understand, that even if the rest of the world shuns him for a monster, a killer, I _know._ I know that Lucrecia's death is no fault of his, and until _he _realises that for himself, there is no way I can leave him alone in his pain.

I'm not sure which of us starts crying first, but that's how we end up, among the piles of junk in the slums of Midgar, tears pouring openly down our cheeks, weeping because we just don't know what else to do or where else to turn. When he crumples to the ground, ignoring his previous words, I run forward, only to hold him as I have always held him after he wakes up from his nightmares, tightly and securely, his head resting against my shoulder. Of course, he is a lot bigger now, but he hasn't changed that much.

"You're not a monster, and you're not going to kill me," I tell him. When he seems to be about to protest, I say, "Don't argue with me, boy," in my strictest tones.

Surprisingly, all things considered, this draws a rare laugh out of him, but it doesn't reach his eyes.

"Yes, Yuffie," he says, pulling away a little to answer me seriously, the remnants of a smile still hovering on his lips, below his empty, empty eyes.

_Hope. He doesn't even dare to _hope_ that my words are true_. A deep, burning ache somewhere in my heart swells and grows, and this compels me to embrace him again, and say, "Vince, we're going to find a cure for you. We'll get it fixed." I'm not sure if I'm being overly idealistic, but I truly believe the words I said, and in my heart, I swear an oath not to rest until every avenue has been tried and exhausted. _I will give everything and do anything until Vince can live a normal life. _I'm willing to give up all for him. After all, he is the only person important to me left in this world. Resolutely, I banish the thought of Godo's long unthought of face that suddenly springs up.

Footsteps and a slight cough, and I look up to see Sephiroth approaching. _Did he just arrive or did he get here earlier? _Vincent gently disengages himself from me, but helps me to stand, and we turn to face his brother.

"Brother. I have many things to discuss with you." Sephiroth's voice is quiet but leaves no room for disagreement. He then addresses me. "You may stay, if you wish."

* * *

**AN:** :D Fun fun. And as an interesting side note, in the official stats, Sephy's one centimetre taller than Vinnie, so looks like our darling emo boy will _never _be the taller one. Aww. It'll just have to stay in our dear Yuffie's imagination...

This is the most dialogue Vince has had in a while xD Since AVALANCHE came along he hasn't been speaking much (our dear boy is shy, no? :P) And sorry, Cerberus stays ungiven for this chapter XD

By the way, there are some questions among the reviews that I am deliberately not answering, simply because I'm finding it hard to answer without revealing too much of the plot. So rest assured, I am not ignoring you! :D (though I guess now I can clarify, Vince has not lived in the mansion in Nibelheim all his life, in relation to **kilala-kun's **statement/opinion(?) about Vince not being willing to follow Yuffsters out – though psychologically, we could go into the issue of learned helplessness and all its implications as to why Vince never made any escape attempts before Yuffie came along).

And another random, I realise that there's a fair bit of crying going on (like Vince and Yuffie seem to cry A LOT -eep-) Does anyone feel that it's excessive? I don't want this to become a like bad TV drama.

I'm glad that that the 'fire!' scene made you laugh, **serenbach **XD It wasn't really meant to be in the fic, but when the idea came to me, I thought "_That's soooo Yuffie!" _


	13. Chapter 13

As always, I'm sorry for the delay. Real life has been intruding once again

* * *

**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter 13** _in which Sephiroth does _a lot _of talking. _

* * *

"How much do you know?" I ask.

"What I know, I will tell you," Sephiroth replies, his eyes intent on Vincent's face. "I had suspected that Hojo was planning on doing _something _to Vincent, but I thought it had all ended when Vincent...died." He stops for a while, and smiles ironically. "Or seemed to die."

"Can you tell us a bit more? Vince..." I say, turning to him. "I think it's important that we find out exactly what happened and what's going on." He nods mutely, but he doesn't seem to really care.

"As I have said, I returned home. It was for Vincent's birthday party, as requested by Lucrecia. It may mean nothing to you now," he says, pausing and sighing a little,. "But I intended to take the both of you away that day, out of my father's - I mean Hojo's grasp. Even then I had not liked to leave two innocents in his care, even if they were his children". He looks so deeply unhappy for a moment that I catch a glimpse of the man behind the cool mask that he has put on the whole time before this - one carrying a great burden of guilt. Then his mask slips back into place, and he looks as unconcerned and composed as before. "I found Lucrecia torn to pieces, and Vincent next to her. It was obvious that Lucrecia was no more, so I turned my attentions to Vincent first. I found no pulse, no breathing. I took to the streets for hours and when I returned, both the bodies were gone, and only Hojo was present. He gave me orders, and no leave to ask questions. But he spoke as if alluding to an experiment gone wrong, not the death of two of his progeny. Until that day, I had known how little he cared for both his sons, but I had wrongly assumed that he still had some gentler feelings towards his daughter. "

"Whoa." I can't think of anything else to express my feelings at the moment.

"You are so greatly changed that it took me some time to be sure that it was truly you who stood before me. Not just the fact that you have aged well beyond what is natural...but your eyes..."

"They're fitting for what I am," Vincent says, speaking for the first time since Sephiroth arrived. I can hear the acceptance in his voice, as well as the unspoken undertone. _The monster that I am. _

"Vince, you are _not _a monster!" I say, knowing what he is thinking. _What _will drive into that knuckleheaded brain of his that whatever is in him is no fault of his? It has to be something more than my weak words.

"She speaks correctly. You were a normal baby, and you grew up into a normal child. The beast that Hojo implanted into you may have killed Lucrecia, but you could have done nothing to control it."

"How could you know if that was true?" _Why is Vincent so convinced of his own guilt?_

Sephiroth pauses for a while, and I'm guessing he's thinking of how to frame his next words. "Although genetic experimentation is out of my jurisdiction, I too am a test subject." He indicates to his Mako-green eyes. "As the leader of the SOLDIER program in Shinra, I am privy to information of the development of new weapons and genetic advances related to the military programmes. Six months ago, I came across a file in the HQ, detailing an experimental design in a bid to create stronger warriors for Shinra use. It involved a splicing of a man with genes of new monster discovered around the Gongaga area. I later found that it was already a Shinra project, and in its third stages. The subject was only named as V, which I had assumed meant he was the fifth test subject. In light of recent events, we must assume that you and V are one and the same." He pauses, to give us some time to absorb the information. "According to that report, the scientists were disappointed that the subject displayed no visible control over the transformation or over the monster. A theory was put forward that it was the subject's tender age that limited his ability to subdue the beast within, and so they developed an aging serum, which they injected in small doses into the boy with every transformation, hoping that age would bring control. It was only after I saw him, a boy who is undoubtedly my brother...but so much closer to being a grown man than he should be... that I realised." Sephiroth stops, taking in a deep breath.

I can almost hear the click of comprehension as the pieces fall into place in my head. "I won't forgive him..." I whisper through gritted teeth, the flames of hatred rushing through my blood.

"Neither can I," Sephiroth answers, almost spontaneously it seems, but although he says nothing else, I know that I am united in spirit with this man, in hatred for the professor.

Remembering my freshly sworn oath, I ask, "Can...can Vince be cured?"

He hesitates, and then speaks. "If we can procure the casefiles, with all the information since the conception of the experiment, a skilled geneticist may be able to work something out. However, this is only a possibility, not an actuality. I know too little about the procedures he was subjected to."

"So we have to get it off Hojo? I assume that he is deep into his eyebrows in this, if not the main one responsible."

"Shinra files deliberately do not name the employees involved, except by a code. However, Hojo has boasted in my hearing that he has not joined any project as anything other than its head for over a decade."

_Sounds like Hojo alright. He wouldn't be happy if he wasn't the boss. _"What about the HQ? You said you found the file over there right?"

"Unfortunately, Project V, as it is now called, has been termed as a Level S, and only Shinra's top executives and its team members have access to it."

"Aren't you one of the higher ups in Shinra? Your name almost never fails to be mentioned whenever it is."

"I am... one of its public faces but, within the corporation," his mouth twists into a wry smile, one of the first I've seen on him, "I am a tool, a weapon. A weight to turn the scales. Rumours of my battle prowess have spread far and wide, and Shinra does all it can to encourage, even increase their number. After all, if it is known that the greatest warrior and general leads their forces, more would be willing to give in and surrender rather than oppose futilely."

"Why? Why did you serve as their dog? You're not dumb, you must have figured that out long ago." I know, I know, we're getting off topic, but it really is fascinating. And he _is _a living legend. I can't help it, my curiousity gets the better of me.

He smiles again, and this time the self-loathing I see in it as his mouth twists is terrible. What is with these two brothers that they seem to so easily bear hatred towards themselves? "One such as you will never understand the dark motives which drove me through that part of my existence." I might have resented that statement, and I do (what does he think I am, some young naïve child?), until he adds, "And I envy you for that." I will not fault him for his sincerity.

The atmosphere seems to get even heavier, and I decide that it's time to return to the order of the day. "You can't access the files, and if you try too much, I'm assuming that it may draw Shinra's attention to the fact that their pet general is turning on them, correct?" _Can't even risk his neck for his brother. _I think, though another little voice in me tells me that I am being a bit unfair.

"There is...another alternative." Sephiroth frowns slightly, and then speaks. "AVALANCHE. They may not seem it, but once mobilised, they are a highly efficient unit. If you can procure their assistance.."

"How much are we going to tell them? Are you sure it's wise to say everything?"

"I do not know. Perhaps we should return and rest for today, as well as consider what should be said to AVALANCHE when we gather again tomorrow. Both of you seem exhausted."

"Well, it's been an exciting day." I did not notice until he spoke of rest, but the sky is already darkening, and the growls from my stomach remind me that I have not eaten in what seems like days.

"Do you know of any good inns nearby?" I ask. Even as the words leave my lips, I realise that an inn would not be the best choice. After all, if Hojo was searching for us, I am sure he would have descriptions of us posted everywhere.

"I know of something better, and it is nearby. Before I started searching for Vincent, I made the arrangements." He strides off, leaving us to follow him.

I follow, and Vince stumbles along beside me. He is only moving because I am dragging him along.

I am not too surprised to find ourselves at Aerith's doorstep, and she welcomes us warmly, before ushering us all in. All the belongings we had packed and had carelessly left behind in the AVALANCHE HQ are piled neatly along with our recent purchases on a table.

Just before I am about to drop off to sleep, that I realise I had left the gun I bought in Aerith's living room. Careless of me, but I had been distracted by the smell of Aerith's cooking as soon as I walked into the house. I _could _just leave it there, but I _had _paid a fair amount of gil for it, and I would feel much happier if it is in my room with me. I take a quick peek next door, where Vince is. His back is to the door, but I can tell he isn't sleeping.

"Vince?" I say. He ignores me. I move in and perch on the side of his bed. Sitting there, I wait for him to speak, but the silence continues. I laugh at myself silently. I'm waiting for _Vince _to speak first? That hasn't happened since... I sigh. "Goodnight. Don't think too much." I touch his hair lightly and exit.

I walk down the stairs quietly, not wanting to wake anyone else up. The living room is just to my right, the door to it closed. My hand on the door handle, I pull it down, about give it a light push, when I hear voices within.

"So why didn't you tell him?" Aerith's voice, and I stay perfectly still, keeping my breaths shallow. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but where _I _grew up, I was taught that eavesdropping is a valuable source of information and is a skill to be honed to perfection. Dinner had been a largely silent affair, with only Aerith and I making attempts at conversation. The two brothers had turned brooding silence into an art form, and my mouth was too full of food half the time. Additionally, alright, I'll admit it. I am completely curious about their relationship. Wouldn't you be?

"I did not see the need."

"It was in that time of your despair over the death of your siblings, roaming the streets, when we first met by chance. That eventually, when you learnt that Hojo had been experimenting on your brother, that cemented your decision to betray Shinra and join our cause. That currently, you are tormented with guilt because you feel that you abandoned him in Hojo's hands for another year, to suffer even more?"

"There was no need." Sephiroth says, his voice neutral.

"From what I see, he doesn't blame you in any way!"

"Even if I had gained the forgiveness of the whole world, Aerith," Sephiroth says, and his tone is weary, "I would still not be able to forgive myself until all of this wrong has been corrected. Maybe not even after that."

It is at this very moment that the door I am leaning on while avidly listening chooses to give way, causing me to collapse on a very unceremonious heap right in front of the two. Aerith merely looks confused, whereas Sephiroth's calm mask has returned. It is impossible for me to even guess what he is thinking.

"Errrr..." I _know _I am turning red, out of embarrassment. I'm sure, you may be thinking, that, as an eavesdropper, I must be prepared to be caught sometime, but you must also know that I have not been caught eavesdropping since I was five. "I know this isn't a good time but..." I flounder wildly for an excuse, and meeting Sephiroth's cold emerald gaze, a burst of inspiration fills me. "Could I get your autograph please?"

* * *

AN: ^.^

**ZakuReno and the anonymous reviewer: **The little I understand about the Protomateria is that it has to do with Chaos (and controlling it), but the beast inside Vince isn't Chaos (I didn't finish Dirge of Cerberus so my knowledge of the events within it is rudimentary). This was a very convoluted way to say, nope, don't think the Protomateria is going to be involved.

**Kuro-Hidama, **I discovered the Howl books a little late in life (last year to be exact), but I had watched the movie a couple of years back (after finishing the Howl books I then went on to finish the Chrestomanci series too, so you could say I'm quite a fan of DWJ :D ) ... I didn't realise my title openings were like hers, haha, unconscious copying from a fan I guess! ^^

**Kilala-kun: **Don't worry, your romance demands aren't bothering me (: I want more romance too! But I don't want it to be the "Huh? They love each other? Just like that?". Hopefully there'll be more in their future in this fic! XD

BTW, I've thought of a reason for why Yuffie's been crying so much (aren't I a genius?). She's hormonal :P. Think about it; she is a teenager at the moment, after all. Same could be said for Vince ;)

And about Sephiroth. I like him, but in this fic, I like to see him as misunderstood, and he seems to be the type who won't bother with correcting the misunderstandings. (:


	14. Chapter 14: Undisclosed desires

:) I'm sorry this took so long! I was internetless for a looong time, then really caught up in work

..and I haven't posted in so long that I almost forgot my username and password...wouldn't that be bad xD

* * *

**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter 14** _in which we sing along to Undisclosed Desires. Yay Muse! _

* * *

"So, what exactly is the role _you _play in all this?" Sephiroth asks sardonically. He and Aerith are seated comfortably on the couch, whereas I, since my very unplanned entrance earlier, am standing before them, as if a child to be chastened. Aerith has a half amused, half worried look on her face, but Sephiroth seems intent on questioning me at the moment.

"I'm here to stay."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I never said I would."

"You deliberately eavesdrop upon a private conversation, resist interrogation, if I remember correctly, the White Rose of Wutai is famed as a thief with an unhealthy obsession with materia... All in all, I do not feel you a suitable caregiver for my little brother." He isn't smiling, but I cannot mistake that sparkle of humour in his eyes. _Just like Vince. _

"I amuse you, don't I." I resist the urge to stick my tongue at him. Aerith, still looking a little bit worried, seems to wondering if she should sigh or giggle. _I seemed to amuse your father too. _

"It has been a while since I had the pleasure of dealing with someone who openly resists me without malice."

"Well _I _will just complete the business I came downstairs for," I say, hopping forward and grabbing my package off the table, "And back to bed for me. Goodnight! Go back to your private conversation. And don't talk so loudly next time!" A thief _always _knows when to make her escape. Anyway, if I stay here long enough, I'll have proper spyholes from the next room or something, rather than something as amateurish as listening at the door.

As I head up the stairs, I think I hear a low, deep chuckle.

So he can laugh too.

...

The sun is barely up when my eyes flicker open. I toss and turn for a few moments, but find that I can't go back to sleep. Since that's the state of affairs, I decide to go check on Vince. Maybe I can convince him...I don't know what to convince him about.

He isn't in his room, and I feel the beginnings of panic rising up in me. I rush down the stairs, taking three at a time (the most I can physically take), and throw open the front door violently... to see him sitting on the steps, looking blankly at the gamut of flowers that surround Aerith's house.

My heart still beating furiously, I lower myself to sit beside him. As I take that place, he draws his knees towards himself, curling himself up into a defensive ball. Reading his mood, I don't speak, and we sit in silence until Aerith calls us in for breakfast.

"Kisaragi-san" It is the first time Sephiroth has called my name, and it feels weird. I jump and give him a _Look, _over my bacon and toast. "Not to your taste? Do you prefer Kisaragi-sama? Or perhaps, Kisaragi-ohimesama?" He is almost smiling again.

"Ugh. No. Yuffie." I consider sticking my tongue out at him but my mouth is currently stuffed full of baked eggs. _Aerith is an _amazing _cook. _

"Very well. Yuffie. What we will ask of them to do is potentially dangerous. A Level S project by Shinra is of highest priority, and _any _information about it will undoubtedly be heavily guarded. Requesting for their assistance is tantamount to asking them to risk their lives."

"Vince?" I ask, turning to him. After all, it's his story.

"It doesn't matter." Vince says listlessly.

_Vince. _I take his hand and squeeze it tightly, hoping that even this minimal form of human contact will somehow reach him in his despair. It doesn't work, he remains silent and...empty.

"The members of AVALANCHE do hate Hojo, some with more reason than others. Additionally, removing the files from his possession would mean a complete halt to Project V, and thus stall it indefinitely. The frustration that Hojo will feel will even alone be enough motivation to some to assist you in this.

"You've convinced me," I say lightly, trying to lighten the mood in the room.

Aerith notices, and the rest of breakfast, she keeps up a light, steady flow of chatter with me, the two brothers silent after that.

...

AVALANCE is gathered in their HQ, already waiting for us.

"You took your time" Cloud doesn't seem very welcoming, but his tone is neutral. I suspect that two certain ladies have been giving him a talking to.

"Where did we leave off?" Sephiroth says, looking as unruffled as you please. I'm positive he annoys Cloud deliberately.

"Back to your brother's corpse. You found it, then what happened?" Amazingly, it was Cid, and not a single %^#*$ or &#%&.

It is a hard tale to tell, especially when Sephiroth stops speaking and motions for me to continue. I try to keep it factual, but the Wutaian side of me that delights in tales and fables cannot resist the dramatic nature of the story, and my audience in an attentive one, gasping as I speak of Vince's first transformation before my eyes. I don't speak of his latest transformation - the memory of Vincent's tears is not something I will easily share.

"So one day, I decided that Vince and I could, you know, strike it out in the world or something, maybe find a cure. And the rest is as you know. I called Cid to get my promised lift out, and here we are, standing before you." I realise that my voice has gotten a bit small, before the silent gazes of these almost-strangers. Lifting my chin, I stare at each and every one of them. _I am, no, I _was _a princess of Wutai. I will _not _beg._

"We need to...consider what it is you ask of us." Surprisingly, it is Barret who speaks. Cloud, with folded arms, has turned away, refusing to meet anyone's gaze.

I shrug. "Let me know when you've decided."I get up to leave, pulling Vincent along. I am surprised when Sephiroth also joins us.

"I have too much...vested interest in this. It could be said that I might be biased if it comes down to a vote, not keeping the best interests of the group in mind."

"Aren't you supposed to be one of them?" I say, not bothering to keep my voice down. "That's practically unfair treatment!" I know that this isn't increasing my chances with obtaining their help, but it rankles that Sephiroth seems to be a second grade member.

"They have their reasons to distrust me. It is regrettable but understandable. I should check the Shinra office in Upper Midgar. There may be new information."

"I would ask to go with you, because I think it's totally cool to see the office of an evil megacorporation, but..." I start to say, and remember. "Hey, do you know any good place for like, training?"

"I would suggest that you go to the outskirts, or further. There are clearings and forests galore, and I think you should be well able to handle the monsters that do frequent there. Shinra troops usually make sweeps so the stronger beasts have already been weeded out."

"Awesome! We'll just grab the gear from Aerith's place and see you later!"

"Run along little ones."

I might have hated him then if there had been even the slightest bit of condescension in his tone, but I hear only wry amusement.

It takes us barely moments to take what we need, and we are off. Vince is so dispassionate that I have to practically drag him along. This whole guilt-about-killing-Lucrecia-and-almost-killing-Yu ffie and I-am-a-monster thing that he has is getting to a worrying level. I know he is definitely still worried that one day, the next person to die will be me.

"C'mon Vince, hurry up! I didn't raise you to be so lazy!"

Remembering the present that I'm carrying, I get excited. Maybe a gift will cheer him p, or at least distract him for a while.

It feels like ages before we leave that grimy city, and by then I'm practically bouncing around.

"Today, we're going to try out some new weaponry. So yeah. This is for you. It's probably really different from anything we've used before." _And it had better be, because the gil it cost could probably feed a small village for a month. _I thrust out the package in his direction. "I would prefer it if you..." I stop, as the next words rise to my lips, but are cut off abruptly before they are spoken, "..._were further away from danger." Where did that come from? _I wonder. But I cannot deny their truth. Yes, Vince is good at close combat and he will definitely become better the more he trains, but some part of me would definitely prefer that he remains away from the frontlines in any battle if possible. I had not analysed the reasons behind me buying a gun for Vince, but here is suddenly is, an epiphany. I realise that I've been silent for a little too long, and cover it with a weak laugh, "Erm, I mean, guns are cool!"

He is turning it over in his hands, examining it carefully, as I have taught him to do with every new weapon.

"Thank you, Yuffie," he says. It's still a monotone but he does seem to have perked up a little.

"So, so, are you going to name it?"

"Name?"

"Yeah! All cool weapons need a name! I name everything I use!" Not exactly true, but I have named all my shurikens.

"Any suggestions?" He seems to be regarding me with a mild amusement. _Definitely an improvement. _

"Rover!"

"Pardon?"

"It has a doggy thing there..."

"Cerberus."

"Sorry?"

"Three-headed hell hound. I would conjecture that it's derived from the three barreled motif."

"Cerberus sounds like a nice name. Kinda cool. 'I'm taking Cerberus out now'. If I ever get a puppy I'll call him that. You know, maybe when this is all over, we'll get a dog. I read somewhere that all boys need a dog."

"If that is what you wish." His brief spark of life seems to have ended.

I sigh. Perhaps exercise. I heard it releases happy hormones or something.

Training did not really get me my intended outcome however. He is still moving robotically, although he is paying attention, I can tell his heart isn't in it. It takes us three hours, and Vincent almost beats me several times. He's really getting good. He practices with the new gun too, and his aim is superb. It was a good choice, I tell myself, giving me a pat on the back. Cerberus seems almost an extension of himself, not a separate weapon. If only he seemed more... interested in it, rather than just obeying my orders and directions.

Walking back to Aerith's place, Vince suddenly pauses. I stop, wondering if he'll speak.

"Yuffie?"

"Yes?" I reply, looking at him. He looks... unhappy. But he has looked unhappy ever since we left the mansion.

"What do you think of Sephiroth-_aniue_?"

_Interesting. This might lead somewhere. _I think briefly before answering. "Really hot. Kinda cool. Has an interesting sense of humour. And..." I remember his conversation with Aerith and how he followed and searched for Vince when he ran off. "He seems to care more for things than he pretends. And confident enough to not care if he's misunderstood."

Abruptly, Vince walks on, taking great big strides.

It's a bit irritating that his legs are so long now. It takes me ages to just catch up.

"Vince!" I call, grabbing his upper arm. He keeps his face turned away from me, but he stops. "What's up with you? You asked me a question and walked away! What happened to those hours of etiquette class I gave you?" Ok fine, it wasn't really hours, I wouldn't have subjected him and myself to them, but a good spy does need to be able to fit in. Suddenly, the realisation hits me. "You're not... _jealous_, are you?"

His whole posture stiffens, and he makes a move as if to jerk his arm out of my grasp.

"Vince! Look at me!"

He turns away even more, but he remains where we are.

"It's alright, it really is!" I say, giving him a hearty whack on the back. "It's fairly normal to have a brother complex, especially at your age. He cares a lot about you! It's just that you don't talk enough! If you talked a little more..."

Silently, he maneuvers out of my grip and walks on.

"Vince! Don't be so shy about it! Most little boys idolise their big brothers!" I call up after him, running a little until we're side by side again.

"Yuffie," he says quietly. "You don't understand."

Somehow his words annoy me. "Well Vince, this may be news to you, but I'm no mind reader. If you want me to know things, sometimes you've gotta tell me!"

His face blanks out almost immediately, and he turns to walk away again.

"Young man, this is the third time you're walking away from me today! If you're going to keep running away, I'm never going to know!"

He turns to glance at me, and I see a whole load of different emotions flash in split seconds across his face, before the last brief flash of the familiar guilt and anguish, and then his stolid mask returns.

I feel despair sinking its little claws into my heart - Vince is going to shut me out again.

"What is it that you want me to do for you, Vinnie?" I ask his retreating back softly, not expecting a reply and not getting one.

* * *

**AN:** again, I'm sure most of you know, but just in case, _-sama_ is a very respectful honorific, whereas _-ohimesama_ is just over the top and I'm not sure if it's even used ^^ (hime = princess). Yes, Sephy was teasing Yuffie.

This chapter is also more 'jumpy' than usual. I hope that the transitioning from scene to scene isn't too disconcerting. Any opinions? (:

By the way, is it getting too obvious that Sephiroth is one of my favourite FFVII characters (after Yuffie and Vincent of course ^_~ ) ?

**desiderada: **oooh thank you for your comments, especially the feedback about Sephy ^^ I guess I'll have to say he'll be very OOC to what is in the game canon, especially now that he doesn't have insanity as his best friend in his head ^^ . And about Zack... I didn't really take him into consideration for this fic to be honest (didn't play CrisisCore due to lack of a PSP so I'm not too familiar with the character)

And I'm glad you liked the characterisation of Sephiroth so far, **serenbach! **Hopefully this chapter hasn't changed your mind :X

and to everyone else: hehe! I'm glad you enjoyed the ending of the last chapter :D

And like you, I too want Yuffie/Vincent love, but it's going to take time! :C


	15. Chapter 14 and a half

^_^ Thank you for all the positive reviews!

And I'm sorry for the long long time in between updates.

* * *

**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter 14.5** _which is more of a teaser to more exciting things to come!  
_

* * *

"I bear...tidings," Sephiroth tells us when he returns. "They may serve us well to sway AVALANCHE to our cause, if they do not doubt the verity of my words."

It takes me a little while to process but when I finally get it, I half squeak in excitement, "You have good news?" Then the second half of the sentence half of his sentence dawns on me. "But they may not believe you..."

"It is fortuitous for us, and might be seen as overly so."

"So what is it?"

He simply gives me a raised eyebrow, and turns, walking in the direction of Seventh Heaven.

I follow, half dragging Vince along with me. I'm still quite certain that Vince is just unhappy, as the little brother who isn't able to speak to the elder brother he looks up to so much, when I can jest so casually with him. Must find the time somehow to sort this out.

AVALANCHE pauses in the midst of what seems to be a heated discussion as we make our grand reentrance. I can see that Cloud is just itching to say something, but two warning glares from the lovely ladies seated around him, and he shuts his trap.

"You may want to take this into consideration for your discussion," Sephiroth says, and he places a file on the table.

Barret picks it up and flicks through it, licking his finger now and then as he turns the pages. I don't know about the rest of you, but a bit of a disgusting habit isn't it, leaving your spit everywhere? Godo does it all the time too, and it's probably one of the reasons I _refuse _to read Wutai state documents after he's been through them. Ugh.

"This seems a lit'le _too_ well timed," he growls, passing the file to Cloud, who opens it, a frown furrowing his forehead.

"What is it?" Aerith asks.

"According to this file, it seems that..." Tifa is reading over Cloud's shoulder, and she gasps.

All of us in the room are anticipating her next words, wondering what is that great revelation that Sephiroth seems to have carried in.

"Red," she says. "It seems that a female of your kind has been captured by Shinra. The file description states that she is of a different colouration, but all other physical attributes listed..."

She is interrupted by an earth shattering roar from Nanaki, who has leapt to his feet, his tail lashing wildly.

"_Deneh!"_

"Do you know her?"

"As far as my knowledge goes, she is the only living female of my species!" He is pacing around in agitation, low growls emitting from his throat as he speaks. "She was involved in a ceremony to appease the Planet and should have been at the altar for at least three more years! The Shinra fools! Without her presence there, the consequences will be dire!"

"What ceremony is this?" The toy cat moves forward on his Moogle, peering at Nanaki.

"Do you know of this?" Nanaki growls, moving forward menacingly.

"Look here mate, the man behind me is in Urban Dee-velopment, not 'strange twisted scientific experiments'. Ya gotta go to Hojo for that sort of crap."

"Reeve, are you there?" Tifa says.

"I am now." The cat-robot suddenly straightens up, looking serious. This is _interesting._

"Is this information true?" Barret asks.

Sephiroth raises and eyebrow at me, and I can almost read an 'I told you so' in his acerbic smirk. Next to me, Vince shifts a little, and he moves forward, blocking my line of sight to Sephiroth.

"Any information would be good, Reeve," says Cloud. I'm surprised to see that he seems calm, for once.

"I have no knowledge of this," Reeve says. "However, it is not surprising at it has little, or anything, to do with my department."

"If it is truly Deneh they have captured, we need to recover her immediately!"

"What exactly is that ceremony about? I've never heard you mention it..."

"It is...almost like a sacrifice, to placate the Planet, only we do not offer blood or flowers, but our own energies and spirits for years at a time. I was captured after I had completed my part in it, but Deneh was to have remained for at least two more years..."

"What happens if she isn't there?"

"The Planet will rise up against us." This is Aerith speaking, her soft voice filled with an undertone of horror that made it all the more chilling. "She has already tolerated much under our hands and this may be the last straw."

Cloud is staring at his hands, steepling them thoughtfully. All in all, I am rather surprised that he has not jumped up in a massive denunciation of Sephiroth. He opens his mouth and I prepare myself.

"Very convenient, isn't it, that right when your brother needs our help that you bring in information that would require at least some action on our part." He pauses and sighs. "Sephiroth?"

"Yes?"

"Are you certain that this information is true?"

"Yes."

"What if it's some kinda *%^$% trap?" Do I even need to identify this as Cid?

"How long do we have, Nanaki?"

"Seeing as she was just captured a month ago, possibly a fortnight."

"That doesn't give us much time to plan."

"If I may speak," Sephiroth says, and Cloud gives him a brusque nod. "I have an idea that may work."

* * *

**AN:** In case you're all wondering, no, the dire threats will not involve the WEAPONs, since, as I understand from the original FFVII storyline, they were created when Jenova landed on Gaea. I thought it would be rather contradictory if they existed and Jenova didn't.

It's shorter than usual, but that's cos the next chapter is probably going to be extra long! :)


	16. Chapter 15

**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter 15 **_in which Yuffie and Vincent get to go somewhere with..._

* * *

"Go ahead," Cloud says. This is the calmest I have heard him yet, which amazes me.

"It is not overly complicated, as duplicity is often best achieved with the simplest of means. These two-," Sephiroth indicates to Vince and me, "-are currently wanted fugitives. There is a sizeable reward for their capture." He raises an eyebrow sardonically. "It would seem that Hojo is eager to have them back."

"He had terrible security in the first place," I can't help myself from saying. "It was like, whoooosh out."

Cloud fixes his bright blue Mako enhanced gaze at me, looking thoughtful. "Go on, Sephiroth."

"As the captor of this pair, I would undoubtedly be expected to escort them right into Hojo's laboratories. Once we have entered, AVALANCHE will create a diversion somewhere in Shinra HQ. In the confusion, we can free the captive, get the data and make our escape."

"Wouldn't this put you under some suspicion?" Tifa asks, reasonably.

"As it goes, I am already under investigation, though at the moment it is covert." Sephiroth's mouth quirks. "However, there is a last part of my plan that I have neglected to mention earlier. I plan to destroy the laboratories once I leave. It shall be," he raises his eyebrows meaningfully. "My last _duty _to the company. After that I shall openly join AVALANCHE. There is already little I can do as a spy since trust in me has eroded. At the very least, you have Reeve and I do have some highly placed contacts within Shinra who can feed me information even after I leave."

"What's in this fer you?" Barret quips. "You're throwing away everything you've worked for."

"Will you accept social awareness and a love for Gaea? To see Mako reactors down, and the poison removed from the Planet?" He pauses and looks around. "No? Perhaps, simply a soul tired of conforming to the chains of Shinra, longing for freedom..." His mouth quirks up in a small grin. "Sibling affection?"

I can't help it, I roll my eyes. _Men. _I already know that at least some of his motivation stems from his guilt about Vince, and I don't doubt that it really he genuinely wants to help his little brother, but why does he have to go on that way? He's really not sowing any seeds for trust in AVALANCHE, unless they learn to take his way of not truly saying what he feels. _Twisted from growing up as Hojo's son, maybe._

"One part of your plan I don't completely understand," says Cait Sith/Reeve. Since he sounds so calm, I'm assuming it's Reeve, not the robot. "Why risk both? Why bring in both Yuffie and Vincent? One is a child, one is barely full grown-" I give an indignant yelp at this, not sure which one is me, but both are insulting anyway, "but surely bringing in just either would be easier, especially if you plan to make your escape?"

"I have considered that," Sephiroth answers, "But there is an obstacle..."

"Which is?"

Sephiroth turns to Vincent and me. "So, who volunteers for a dangerous mission to infiltrate Shinra with me?"

"Me of course! There's no way I'm letting Vincent go anywhere near that slimy git Hojo!" Of course that's me.

"No. I will go," Vincent says.

"Vince!"

"Yuffie." His voice is calm, and his gaze is steady. It is almost as if _I'm _the naughty child, and he is the wiser, older one.

"It is as you see. Neither will leave without the other."

"I cannot agree to this." It is Tifa, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Aerith nodding in agreement. "Both of them are too young..."

"I am not!" I squeak in indignation, before I realise that this does not really improve any appearance of maturity that I had wished to convey. Sheesh.

Cloud runs his hands through his chocobo hair again. "It is not so much their age that I object to. Times such as these bring about maturity beyond mere years. Consider Marlene even. What I question," and his piercing Mako blue gaze locks onto me, "is their ability to handle themselves competently throughout the mission especially if things do not go exactly as planned, which is a definite possibility."

"I'll spar with _any _of you," I say quietly, though inside, my pride is rankling. I had thought that my reputation as the White Rose would have preceded me.

"It is not your battle prowess I am concerned about. As the heir to Wutai-"

"_Former _heir," I interject.

"-_former _heir to Wutai, I know that your skills would be far above average. However, being able to fight and being able to keep a clear head in dangerous and complicated situations are different things. As far as I know, you have never been involved in... activities such as ours. Furthermore, if you are to be believed, Vincent would have had even less experience than you."

I open my mouth to protest, but there is truth in his words that I cannot deny. Biting back any angry or cutting remarks, I ask, "Then if we don't go with Sephiroth's plan, what do you suggest?"

"I am not saying that we throw it out completely. A test of some sort, perhaps..."

"A test?" Tifa asks, her brow furrowing in a frown.

"It will be a real mission of course. Unfortunately we do not have the time to leisurely go about with this. On the other hand, when did any of us have the time to slowly accustom ourselves to danger? We were all thrown into the fire, and I propose to do the same with them." He raises a hand to still the protests already forming on Tifa and Aerith's lips. "Of course, we will not unnecessarily put them at risk, or that would defeat the purpose of having a test anyway."

"What are you thinking of doing?" Reeve asks.

"I propose that Yuffie and Vincent be sent on a rescue mission to the Bastillion." Again, he lifts a hand against the protests of quite a few of AVALANCHE. "They will not be going alone. I will accompany them."

The room erupts into a burst of sound, which Cloud silently waits out. When the noise subsides, he speaks again. "Breaking into the Bastillion has to be a covert operation. An overly large team of people would only hinder us. Secondly-". He stops and looks at us.

"Your weapon of choice is a Shuriken, am I correct?"

"Yes," I answer. I am liking this Cloud more and more as he speaks. Now I can finally understand _why _AVALANCHE calls him their leader, and why Red respects him.

"And Vincent's?"

"A revolver," I answer for him.

"Thank you. Anyway, secondly, as I had guessed and now confirmed, both Yuffie and Vincent seem more adept at long range fighting. Not," and he quirks an eyebrow towards me, "that I doubt their ability at fighting hand to hand, simply that having a melee fighter with them would strategically be better. Working along those lines," and he pauses again, this time glancing towards Tifa, "this narrows down the possible choice of AVALANCHE fighters to Cid, Barrett, Tifa and myself. Tif," his voice softens. "You're not going back to the Bastillion."

"Cloud..." she says.

"Cloud's right. You shouldn't go back there. Not after..." Barret adds.

There is an uncomfortable silence, then Cloud continues speaking. "To break into the Bastillion, there are certain tunnels we have to go through. Barret, I think it may be a bit too much of a tight squeeze for you."

"And the girt big wall you're gonna hafta to climb," Barret adds. "I ain't born yesterday. My arm would only slow those younglings down."

"Cid. I'll need you to be on standby with your airship nearby. I'll need you to be ready to transport whatever prisoners we manage to rescue to our nearest safehouse."

"As you say, Captain."

"And before anyone asks," Cloud says. "Sephiroth was not considered because he is imperative for the next mission. We don't want to risk anything that may alert Shinra to his duplicity, which could lead to complications. Any further questions?"

Everyone is silent.

"Now for the briefing. Do you two know what the Bastillion is?"

We both nod. Of course I've educated Vince properly, and he likes to read a lot anyway.

"Just to make sure we are on the same page. The Bastillion is a high security facility in which Shinra throws all dissidents, opposers and rebels to their. That is, of course, if they're not used as living experimental subjects in the labs or killed as an example to the rest of the community."

"Yeap."

"Some time ago, we discovered a way into the Bastillion, and since then, we have been covertly rescuing the prisoners and taking them to various safehouses all over Gaea." His tone grows stern. "Each person we rescue is a life that is removed from the endless misery and torment that is the Bastillion. It is a serious mission, not some small one we have made just to test you. Do you understand that?"

"Yes," I answer.

"It is a hard trip in, and it will be even harder out, as we'll bring as many prisoners with us as possible."

"How many times have you done this?" I ask, slightly awed. The Bastillion is known to be close to impregnable.

"Not enough," Cloud says, and his mouth settles into a grim line. "They have so many prisoners that the ones we removed were not noticed. Shinra is so confident in its security that there is no proper system to keep track of prisoners. It is assumed that once you've entered the Bastillion, the only way you leave is by death. And death comes easily and readily there."

"We have had AVALANCHE members captured and thrown into the Bastillion before," Reeve/Cait Sith says. "When we finally recovered them..."

"They were dead, though their empty shells remained breathing." Red says. "Their minds had already left them."

"We are not telling you this to frighten you," Aerith says gently. "We only want you to know what it is that you are going into."

"Bastillion is situated on an island. It is an extensive network of caves, and the key to this prison is that it only has one entrance. Or, at least, to Shinra's knowledge. On paper, the plan in fairly simple. We enter through the second, hidden entrance, find as many tolerably healthy prisoners who can make their way out, and we act as guides and protectors. The caves of Bastillion are overrun with monsters, some of which are exceptionally powerful. Shinra occasionally sends in units of SOLDIERs into Bastillion as a survival training exercise. If we come across any of the units, we will have to kill them all." Cloud's voice has gone cold. "Do you understand this? We cannot leave any possible survivors to report our presence in Bastillion's tunnels."

"I only ask that if unless unavoidable, that Vincent is kept free from any of that," I say, even as Vince makes a move to protest. I send him a look, and know that we will have much to talk about later.

"Tif, can you bring them into our storeroom, and let them stock up on whatever they need? Keep an eye on her when she's near our Materia though." Cloud grins, and he looks more boyish that ever, and I realise that he isn't as old as I've thought him to be. "I'm sorry m'lady, but your reputation precedes you."

I huffed in mock-offense, and stick my tongue out at him. This Cloud is actually rather cute. Much better than that broody thing from before.

"I will complete the briefing later in the evening as we fly towards the Bastillion. We will have to finish this operation everything within a span of one night. Can't risk having Cid's airship seen hovering around that area by day. Someone might get suspicious. Aerith, can you work with Nanaki and Barret to organise the safehouse, and be there in case anyone requires healing? Tifa, work with Reeve and Sephiroth to plan out the retrieval of Deneh. If possible, get updated floorplans of the laboratories. The ones we have may be a little old. Think about a good diversion too. Cid," Cloud turns to him. "Get Highwind ready."

At these words, AVALANCHE launches into a flurry of activity, while Vince and I go with Tifa to the storeroom.

They do have a pretty impressive collection of Materia, and praise from me is high praise indeed.

Before we know it, we are already on Cid's beloved Highwind, and my poor guts are in the middle of their usual activity, when Cloud walks to lean against the railing beside me. Well, not too near, unless he's planning on a faceful of ick anytime soon. Vince is on my right, radiating silent sympathy. Or at least, I like to think that he is.

Clearing his throat, Cloud starts, coughing a little. "I was not informed of... this," he says, waving a hand towards me. "Are you still able to listen to the briefing or?" He leaves it hanging.

I flap a hand at him telling him to go ahead. I may feel terrible, but my ears and brain are working, as far as I can tell.

"Before I start, I want to say a few words. I know you probably haven't had the best impression of me so far. Admittedly, I have not been at my best. I apologise."

While I am still digesting this, he continues. "As I've said, the Bastillion doesn't only house prisoners. Monsters roam its many caverns, SOLDIERs use it as a training ground and occasionally the guards patrol it too. There's also the possibility that our escape route may be discovered. If they block it off, we may be trapped."

"Yeap. Got it." It makes me feel even more nauseous to talk so I keep my sentences short.

"What we call the front entrance, and what Shinra thinks of as the only entrance, is always guarded. We will be approaching the island from the back, which is bare and open. Cid will land us there, and wait for us. However, by dawn, if we do not return, he will leave. If anyone is left behind, I do not know if we will be able to mount a rescue mission. I will now go over the entry route. Please pay attention." His tone is very stern, almost like a teacher.

I'm glad that I have a good memory because that is one complicated route. Cloud doesn't allow us to make any written copies, saying that there is a risk that Shinra might get their hands on it.

He then starts to list some of the more dangerous types of monsters, their elements and weaknesses, and time passes. It is a surprise to me when Cid calls out to us, pointing forward.

I look down to see a bleak, forbidding island, with most of it seeming to consist of tall high cliffs, with scant foliage and no sign of any living creatures except a few lonely gulls.

"The Bastillion," Cloud says quietly, and he sounds very tired. "Good luck to us."

* * *

**AN:**

Yes, the name Bastillion is stolen from Bastille :) Not too creative am I?

**Review replies: **

I'm sorry I've been so amiss in this department, but I'll get cracking.

And I think my replies will be limited from now on too

**Mel: **I have to admit, your three reviews just cracked me up, they were just an interesting read! XD

**kurogane7: **I am currently abstaining from all other Yuffentines, simply because I'm afraid I'll get unintentionally influenced and plagiarise something for this story. I will read yours when this is done~hopefully by the end of this year *crosses fingers* (and **serenbach**'s works too! Looking forward to that XD)

**Aezara: **I can't really claim that idea as my own – Deneh is a canon character, and the ceremony is canon too! (: (go to any final fantasy wiki and look her up :D I simply incorporated her in)

**Raziara: **There is a reason behind the whole Japanese/Wutaian bent I gave Vincent :P I hope it has already been half explained (if it hasn't, whoops, I wasn't clear enough)..and the other reason will come to light eventually!


	17. Chapter 16

I'm sorry for the lack of updates, but I _will _finish this one day!

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**YUFFIE AND THE BEAST**

**Chapter ****16 **_in which we have an epic battle. _

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I like caves.

Or at least, I thought I liked caves.

Or maybe, to be more accurate, I like _certain _caves.

In Wutai, when you climb up the great mountains and go exploring the variety of caves and crevices, they are always a comforting earthy sort of brown that almost always seems warm, a palpable heat from the daily rays of the sun. I loved the caves of Wutai, many of them have been places of refuge and shelter to me.

When I ran away to Cosmo Canyon, Nanaki and I spent a lot of time exploring the networks of caves that veined through his home. We had come across beautiful veins of naturally occurring Mako crystals, their jewelled splendour a sight I can never forget.

The Bastillion is nothing like that.

To get to it in the first place, we first had to climb up a sheer rock face and squeeze into a tiny crevice that gradually widened into a tunnel. Cloud had warned us not to speak, for fear of loud noises causing the walls and ceilings of that tunnel to collapse.

I cannot think of a better way to inflict claustrophobia on a person.

After what seems like an eternity, and I have sung every single song I know in my head and am currently making up a new, rude one about Cloud's behind(the only thing I have been able to see for this eternity), it finally widens out, and we suddenly come upon what seems to be the bank of a silent, murky lake.

Cloud turns around, his eerie blue gaze very disconcerting. All sorts of strange jokes about how useful it must be to be able to light his way in the darkest place bubble into my mind but I keep them down. I don't think this is a good time to for silliness.

"As I've told you, it barely comes up to the waist, so be careful if you have anything that can be damaged by water. Well," and I can see the faintest hint of amusement in his eyes as he looks at me, "the water may come up a little higher for you."

I refuse to make any comment to his very subtle reference to my height. I'm still a teenager, and I can still grow. Or that's what I tell myself.

"Footing here is treacherous. I'll go first." Cloud steps into the water, and true enough, for him, it is waist deep. He holds out a gloved hand to me. I hesitate for the tiniest while. He's been crawling through dirt for Gaea-knows-when, and there's probably all sorts of... Ah whatever. My hand isn't any better. I wade in and in turn offer my hand to Vince. As his much larger hand eclipses mine, I feel another transient tug of sadness. I've held Vince's hand quite a number of times in the year I've been with him. His palm which used to be so much smaller now dwarves mine. It is with this melancholy train of thought that I follow Cloud through the murky waters of that underground lake.

However, as we walk, I'm given little time for idle thoughts. Instead, Cloud is pointing out how to navigate, using the oddly shaped stalactites as a guide. After he identifies a particularly oddly shaped one, Vincent speaks, shocking me out of the half trance I am in when I'm trying my best to memorise something.

"Limestone is known to erode or fall away sometimes. Is that why you name several markers for each turn?" There are strange echoes here, almost as if they are muted by the water.

"Yes," Cloud replies. "The fact that most humans are unable to walk in a straight line complicates things further."

"How did anyone ever find this route?" I ask.

"Desperation," he answers shortly. "And the deaths of many others."

We remain quiet, except for Cloud's continuous instructions.

Finally, we clamber up onto a rocky shore, and as we stand there dripping, Cloud draws his hugeass sword, motioning for us to be ready with our weapons too.

"I think at most we'll be able to protect a group of at five or so. Be careful, even of the prisoners. Their confinement has driven them insane, and they may attack you on sight." Cloud is starting to repeat himself.

A small hiss behind me is the only warning I get, before a pale white, slimy form leaps at me, long curved fangs aiming for my throat. Fortunately, the hiss had been enough, and I quickly leap back, slashing at the creature's underbelly and throat. It is dead before I even fully register my actions; every movement had been almost instinctive, product of years of training.

I look down at my kill with disgust. Cloud had named some of the commonly found creatures in the Bastillion. This is a Sevremin, slightly larger than a full grown man in size, but with twice the girth. Despite their size, they move fast, and their long fangs are perfect for slashing and tearing at flesh. Four long appendages, all clawed and a long serpentine neck. This one had been easy to deal with, but as Cloud had said, they hunt in packs of at least twenty.

We are surrounded, and Vincent wastes no time, cocking and reloading his gun and firing with a calm ease that makes me proud. Cloud's sword is mowing down through their ranks, and I add my own share of damage to their numbers.

Once they are all down, Cloud signals us forward, taking the lead again.

My breath is coming a little faster, not from the exertion, but from the adrenaline that comes in battle. It is dark here, with only a little light shining eerily from the walls. Some sort of phosphorescence or traces of Mako energy? I can't be sure.

With my nerves being what they are right now, it is a wonder that I didn't slash and kill the man who suddenly appears and throws his arms around Cloud.

"My son!" he exclaims, with an almost choking hold around Cloud's neck.

Gently but firmly, Cloud disengages the man's skinny arms, pushing him a little away so that his sword arm is free. The light catches Cloud's blue Mako eyes, and their glow intensifies.

Whimpering, the man backs away, falling down to the ground in his abruptness.

"I'm sorry," Cloud says, his tone gentler than I've ever heard it yet. "I did not mean to scare you. Do you wish to come with us?"

The man is still making small noises, fear evident on his face. He backs into a small corner, and watches us warily. This unknown man, he was probably once tall and well built from what I can see of his emaciated frame. Now, filth and dirt combined with a long hairy beard and slightly wild eyes are all I can see when I look at him.

"If you still wish to come with us, meet us later by the lakeside. We'll be back there soon, and we will get you out of here." Cloud says slowly and patiently, before he continues forward.

I walk past, knowing pity is stirring away at my heart, but there is little that I can do right here and now. As Vincent follows, the man hurls himself out of the corner at him.

"My son!" he says, half crying, clutching to the back of Vince's dark shirt. When Vince turns to look at him, he clutches Vincent's gun arm and cries out, pointing at Vince's gun, "Grim is following you! Where the Grim goes, death comes! My son..." He sobs wildly. "Oh Grim, Grim..." He releases Vincent, covering his face with both hands, rocking back and forth.

"The Grim?" I wonder aloud, as we walk on.

"He is probably referring to what is also known as Black Shuck, or the doom dog. A symbol of ill omen and bad fortune. He's got his legends a little mixed up," says Vincent, indicating to the three headed Cerberus on his similarly named gun. Though Vince isn't smiling, this is the closest he's gotten to humour ever since we left Hojo's place. I take it as a good sign, that activity is somehow helping reduce the fog of depression that he has been plunged in for a while.

Cloud motions for us to be silent, and he becomes completely still. We freeze too, and as we prick our ears, we too hear what caused Cloud to stop. Regular footsteps, almost a march, echoing and reechoing in the caves.

We have come to a slightly larger area of the cave, almost a small hall.

"From what previous prisoners have told us, this is sometimes used as a meeting hall. Unfortunately, the Shinra patrols they send in here for training also know of this place." Cloud is speaking barely below a whisper, but I can still hear him. A useful trick that.

Knowing that a possible battle to the death is ahead, I flex my fingers around my faithful shuriken. The tendency before battle is to maintain a tight knuckled grip and tense up, making it harder to fight at full strength. I am glad to see Vince holding his gun firmly, but calmly, without the nervousness I'm feeling.

The steady footsteps get louder and louder, and I can feel my breath catching a little. The three of us are still, our bodies ready to burst into action.

Suddenly, a loud cry pierces the still air. It has a strange unearthly quality, almost mournful.

I turn to Cloud, and see that he has turned a little pale under the grime that is on his face, and I feel a slight rush of panic.

"What was that?" I hiss, still mindful of the Shinra patrol.

"Be ready. What we're going to face is one of the most dangerous monsters in this cave." Cloud moves forward, his sword ready.

The footsteps have stopped abruptly. The abnormal silence is broken by tortured wails and screaming, which are cut off almost as soon as they start.

"Both of you, make sure you stay behind me." Cloud calls, without turning his head. He must have sensed that I am about to protest, because he snaps, "I am your team leader, and remember, this mission is also a test for the two of you. If you cannot even obey simple directives like this, you are not to be trusted for the Shinra infiltration!"

I want to argue, but it's true. Both Vince and I function better at long range. It is a small mercy that this cave is wide enough to manoeuvre around. _But it'll be easier for the monster to move too, if it's fast. _

"We are facing a mutated Tonberry. I _know _you two might have an idea of what a Tonberry is, but erase any assumptions that you have. This one will be fast, and it will attack without provocation. We will not be able to flee, and we have no choice but to face it and kill it." Cloud is talking in quick measured tones. "As soon as you can see it, attack. And don't bother wasting spells on it. It's immune."

I hear the slow, deceptively slow, shuffling footsteps and I catch a brief glimpse of a round head, pebbled grey skin with amber eyes glowing with malice and a small deadly dagger before it attacks.

Vince gets the first few shots in, before I even have time to blink. Cloud has already rushed in, swinging that sword like it is made of air. He is fast, but he doesn't make contact. The Tonberry-mutant dodges his blade, and makes a quick slash at Cloud's unprotected arm, drawing blood. It would have been his chest if Cloud had not dodged.

I dart forward, using my Conformer to attack. I do not launch it, knowing that it will be fruitless in this small space and with the monster's quick movements.

Three bullets from Vincent temporarily stop it, allowing me to see an opening. With a battle cry of triumph, I rush in, cutting quickly. It is only when I see the burning yellow gaze right before my eyes that I realise my mistake. I have allowed myself to get within its range.

Quicker than thought, the Tonberry lunges forward, prepared to give me a fatal blow, when suddenly, one of its bright lamplike eyes is extinguished by Vince's bullet. It flinches, and its other eye is taken out.

Recovering, I land my own blow, before retreating. Thanks to Vince, I escape with only a shallow cut down my shoulder. It could have turned out very badly.

Bleeding a strange green fluid from all its wounds, the Tonberry still stands proudly before us and almost disappears as it leaps forward with its formidable speed. Before Cloud or I can react, Vince has reloaded his gun, and pumped out shot after shot into the little head and body. Seizing the opportunity, Cloud and I both go forward, and I aim for its midriff, darting away just before Cloud lands a final overhead cut.

The battle ends almost as quickly as it has started.

I look at myself and Cloud, bleeding from our wounds, and then at Vince, who stands unscathed.

Vince is already moving towards my side, and gently examining my cut. Cloud has already wrapped his up, a model of efficiency. After giving me a quick glance to see if I'm alright, he heads off towards another one of the tunnel entrances.

"Thanks Vince," I say, giving him one of my crooked smiles. "I think you've just saved my life." I try to say this lightly, but it has just sank in that I almost died in that battle, because I underestimated my foe. Exactly what I had been trying to teach Vince _not _to do.

For a brief moment, I see some unknown emotion stirring in his eyes, causing them to glow an even brighter red, but they flicker out and he turns away. "Have more care," he says quietly as he walks away.

* * *

**AN:**

As you can probably tell, battle scenes are not my forte. Which is why I took so long. :(

Hopefully with this over and done with, I'll finally be able to progress with the story!

I can barely remember any of the monsters from FFVII, since it's been almost ten years since I've touched the game. Had to make my own up, sorry!

Due to a lack of time, I won't be answering questions this chapter. Will hopefully get down to that the next chapter!

Look forward to it ^^


	18. Chapter 17

I would like to dedicate this chapter to all my amazing reviewers who have kept hoping for an update against the odds. Miracles do happen, eh?

To be honest, I first started writing this five years ago and I read the early chapters and agonise over how bad they are. It's nowhere how I would characterise Yuffie if I rewrote her again now, and there's so many things that could be changed. I would love to scrap it and forget about it, but something in me feels also like I should finish this. I actually have it plotted all the way to the end, and I worked really hard to put in the foreshadowings and the little hints towards the big climax in all the previous chapters.

Of course, I haven't even gotten to the proper Yuffentine part of the fic!

So I feel somehow that I owe the old-me who had the big vision for this really long fic (17 chapters and counting!) and I also owe the readers who have gotten this far and want an ending. **I love all of you, and I promise that I will finish this, no matter how long it takes. **

Thank you for reading, and I hope this fic has made your world a little brighter, somehow.

* * *

**Chapter 17**

After searching fruitlessly for hours and hours, we have yet to come across _any _prisoners, and I am starting to despair. We don't even find any dead bodies, but I shudder when I remember Cloud saying that the monsters eat whatever they can get. _And maybe some of the other prisoners too... _The thought is too dark for me to pursue so I cut it. There is something in this place that is creeping me out, and not only am I abnormally tense, it's causing me to move a little too fast and react too quickly – not the calm, considered movements of a season warrior. It's like a foreshadowing of something terrible about to happen, and I am helpless to prevent it.

We are attacked several times, but the monsters are not on the level of the Tonberry earlier, and we proceed without any further mishaps. I have gained several scrapes and bruises; Cloud is similarly marked, and he should get his left leg tended to when we get out. Vincent remains unhurt, something I am really thankful for.

When the time comes for us to leave, I can see Cloud's reluctance in the small frown he is trying to hide, and I share it. I wish I could ask for us to stay longer, to just look a little harder, but I know that it is not possible.

With heavy hearts, we make our way back to the underground lakeside, where we are greeted by an unexpected sight.

"Wow." I say.

About twenty bedraggled, weary and painfully thin men and women turn their faces to us, and their eyes suddenly flare with hope upon seeing us. I almost weep, seeing their too bright eyes in their too thin faces, and some have their hands outstretched to us, almost in supplication.

"How did you...?" Cloud asks, his tone happy, but his eyes dark with confusion.

"Grim here," says a man slowly, indicating to another, whom I recognise as the man who had clung onto Cloud earlier. "He said his son had come to bring us out. He pulled many of us here almost forcibly."

"My son! I have brought the men here!" He makes a lunge towards our direction, and Vince catches him before he falls. "But Grim, oh Grim death is watching you!" He sobs, clinging desperately to Vince, his fingers pulling frantically at Vince's clothes. Something in me goes cold at his words, though they are just the ramblings of a man who has lost touch with his rationality.

"He always goes on about that Grim thing, that's why we call him that," another man nearby says.

Vince gently disentangles Grim, who is now quietly sobbing. Grim retains a firm grip on Vince's sleeve, refusing to let go, and out of compassion, Vince does not push him away.

"Do you really know a way out?" someone else asks, and I feel the burden of twenty odd eyes from wasted, dirty faces swivel back towards us. It is almost painful, seeing these people, who clung onto hope so desperately but so tentatively.

"Yes," Cloud says, stepping forward. "The way is perilous and difficult, but we will help you through to the end."

I bite my lip, looking at them. They are so weak, and so weary. I can see most of them are famished. We had thought to bring out five at most. How were we going to guide them through the tiring journey, not just through the lake, but also through the tunnels and down the cliff face? Not to mention protect them from any possible monster attacks along the way. I didn't allow the worry to show on my face though, and there was absolutely no question of leaving anyone behind.

Cloud surveys the crowd, his gaze finally coming to rest on Vincent and me. "We can do this," he says, his voice brimming with confidence. "I know we can."

He then turns to first man who spoke, who appears to be the leader of sorts. "Can any of you still fight? Does anyone have difficulty walking? Who here can swim?"

In almost no time at all, he has organised us all into three groups. He takes me, Vince and three of the strongest men aside to talk. Grim, still clutching Vincent's arm, follow along, moaning a little.

"Vincent, Yuffie, both of you will be leading a group each. If we get separated, just keep moving forward, and protect your group as best you can." He looks at Grim, who flinches back a little under Cloud's Mako blue gaze.

"He'll be under your charge, Vincent, but be wary of him wandering off. He is not entirely rational at the moment, and it might get a little dangerous."

Vincent simply nods.

"My group will go first, then Yuffie's and then Vincent's. Remember, move quickly, and be careful."

"Yes, yes," I say, moving towards my group. I cheerily introduce myself, and feel amply rewarded when I see faces long unused to smiles slowly forming shy grins. I find myself the leader of four men and three women, Reshi, Owen, Clift, Dharen, Sena, Travi and Rhoda.

"Let's go," Cloud says, and he steps into the water. I wait for the last of his men to step in, then I signal Reshi, who is helping me out, to go first. I wait to see that everyone is safely in and following, and then I enter, throwing a quick glance behind to Vincent, who is waiting patiently.

The trek back seems even longer than I remember it, and soon, the cold, numbing water and their prior exhaustion is starting to take its toll on the men. Many start to stumble and fall, and Reshi and I move round, swimming a little now and then where the bottom of the lake floor drops away, giving encouragement. Once, Sena makes a misstep and drops suddenly into the water, at one of the deeper pools where there is nowhere to walk on. Lunging forward, Owen, who had been struggling himself, grabs Sena by her hair, fighting to keep his balance. Reshi is immediately beside them, steadying them and talking quietly to them as they choke and splutter. After making sure that they are fine, I continue trudging my way, though I still can't shake the cold clamminess in my stomach. _Something is wrong. _

This evil feeling stays with me even after my team has made it safely through the water to the shore. Cloud's group has also made it through safely, and as our tired charges lie around panting, Cloud and I remain alert and on guard. I watch the darkness of the waters for Vincent and his group. They seem to have fallen behind.

It seems like forever until Vince finally comes into sight, and it is obvious why he was so slow. He is carrying Grim on his back, and the others are treading slowly behind him.

I could scream with frustration at how agonisingly slow their progress is. The dark feeling wells up and my nerves are straining towards breaking point.

He is about two hundred paces from us when a fountain of water explodes to my right. The monster rears up, opening an overly large mouth to expose rows upon rows of deadly teeth. It is huge, slimy and a horrible shade of grey-white that glows with a sickly sheen. Although big, it's fast, like all the other accursed monsters in this place. Thick skin is growing over what seems to be its eyes, but it moves with confidence and purpose.

It snaps up one of the men and swallows him whole even before the echoes of his screams have died out. Vince's gun is out but I can see that it isn't having much of an effect. The bullets just sink into the bulbous figure and disappear.

Cloud is swearing under his breath, and he starts forward. He stops and looks at me.

"You stay on shore. If anything happens, you still have to lead the rest of the people out." With those words, he moves off as fast as he can, barely making a splash in the murky waters.

I am left helpless to witness Vince fending off the monster as Cloud makes his way towards them. It flinches when some of the bullets glance off its face, but it keeps getting nearer and nearer.

Cloud has reached them but he is having trouble finding footing as leverage as he swings that huge sword of his. It is not going well and the monster has snapped up another person, this time a woman. With a quick shearing of its teeth, her body is sliced neatly into half and swallowed, even as Cloud hacks ineffectively at its side.

We were two lonely children with no one else to turn to for that one year. Vince is _family, _he means more to me than anyone else still alive. I am not going to just stand by as he fights that monstrosity.

Without thinking too much, I leap into the waters, to get closer to the battle. Vincent is still shooting, and is trying to dodge past the monster to get to the shore. He is hampered by Grim on his back. The man is shouting, and I thought the words were meaningless nonsense, but they become clearer as as I near them.

"Grim is stalking you! It will get you! Put me down and leave me, or the Grim will bring your death!"

The selfish bastard in me acknowledges the truth of these words. Vince _should _leave the man and save himself, but, the Vince who would do that wouldn't be Vince anymore.

I already know my battle strategy with the monster. It might be stupid and it might get me killed, but it'll give everyone else in the water a fighting chance to make it to shore.

A Wutaian war cry escapes my lips as I leap, higher than I've had to in a very long time. I hit the side of the monster, hard, my Conformer ready. My carefully sharpened blades dig deep into its flesh. I jerk it out and run along the body of the monster until I am near the top of its head. It is emitting deep groans that shake its entire body, though I don't know if my first attack even did anything. I am dimly aware of Vince renewing his attacks on the monster, and Cloud directing the surviving prisoners still in the water out.

I lift my hands above my head, the Conformer poised and ready. Taking a deep breath, I plunge it in, where I _hope _something important is. I see my blade sink as deep into the flesh as it can go, but there is no reaction from the monster. I curse the fact that my weapon is meant to slice, not stab. It is almost upon Vincent now, the huge teeth snapping closer and closer to him.

I keep slicing with my inadequate weapon, knowing only idiots and fools keep trying something over and over again in hope for a different result. A thought, an idea powers through me and I yell, "Cloud! Throw me your sword!"

It was a stupid idea maybe. His sword is freaking heavy, and even if I catch it two handed, the weight out it might knock me over and off the monster. I know Cloud did think for a few split seconds but decided to do it anyway. As the huge sword comes barrelling towards me, I hear Vincent scream my name.

I catch the sword and just barely keep my balance. It is FRICKING heavy. What is with boys and their absurdly proportioned swords? There's Sephiroth too, with that crazy blade that's longer than he's tall. All this is going through my mind as I position Cloud's sword and lean in. There's resistance of course, but I keep pushing, now wishing that I was heavier, and the sword slides in, bit by painful bit, until it's submerged all the way to its hilt. Panting, I cling onto it and watch horrified as the monster opens its large mouth, ready to engulf Vincent and destroy my heart completely.

It pauses, even as Vince shoots another three rounds into the roof of the monster's gaping maw. Slowly, it shudders and tilts slowly to its left. I leap off even as it crashes into the water, creating a mini tidal wave.

I swim to shore and all of us watch in silence as it shudders and finally is still. Maybe that was stupid of us, but somehow, none of us thought of running away. It was in no position to chase us.

After what felt like an eternity, when the monster's death throes have ended, Cloud puts a hand on my shoulder. I thought he was going to scold me for disobeying orders, but instead, he said, "Get my sword back, Yuffie."

* * *

AN: I know there'll a lot of grammatical errors throughout, but I don't have a beta and I really want to try finish this within this month if possible! So I'll try to churn out a chapter about once every two days.


	19. Chapter 18

EDIT: As I was editing and reuploading the old chapters, I accidentally overrode this one. Apologies if you saw ch 12 when you expected to see chapter 18.

Thank you to all the amazing people who have read and reviewed! I'm still trying to upload about once a week, but next month the assignments are going to crush me, so we'll see how we go then! I'm sorry I lied about it being once every two days. Overestimated my abilities.

Also wanted to report, I have a beta on board! All credits for improvements in grammar and cohesiveness will go to JigokuYume :) (who has been with this story since 2009. Long time reader love!). This chapter was not beta-ed, because I am a bit of a noob and couldn't figure out how to send documents out. This will change!

(If you are all interested, my tumblr moniker is collectedutterances . Find me, ask me, follow me there, I will be posting updates on the story and my writing process, hopefully! And in the future, I'll probably respond to fic prompts there too :) )

I want a Yuffentine romance but I also want it to be realistic, but a realistic romance requires time and real interaction to develop, but I want him to just HURRY UP AND KISS HER ALREADY.

I suffer from the same feelings as all of you.

* * *

**Chapter 18 **_has Yuffie feeling sick on an airship, as always._

* * *

The rest of our journey out of Bastillion is fairly uneventful, with the remaining monster encounters being much more manageable. I don't really want to talk about it, so I'll fast forward to when we finally get to our rendezvous point, where Cid had been waiting and probably £$%£^ up a storm and wringing his hands like a distressed old lady.

I'm being unfair to him, but isn't that image funny? Cid, going "$^£$^! %^&$%^!" and throwing his hands up in the air and wringing them, combining profanity and caring. It's just how Cid feels to me.

Once we are safely on the Highwind and the familiar bursts of nausea do their little dance in my gut, I flop onto the deck face-down and allow myself to relax. That was just a _test _mission. Am I really able to handle the Shinra infiltration? Then I remember the stakes, and the doubts leave. For Vince, yes.

He doesn't make a sound, but Vince is here, kneeling next to me. I don't know how he did that.

"You're an idiot," he says quietly.

"What?" I yelp, pushing myself up and instantly regretting it as the motion causes my uneasy stomach to protest vigorously. "If I wasn't sick now, I'd beat you up for that."

"I should beat _you _up," is his reply.

"What happened to mopey sulky Vinnie?" I stretch my hands forward and lie face down again. "If you're going to scold me, _which shouldn't happen by the way, _I'm about to empty my insides and I'm not going to take it."

"Yuffie." Something in his voice makes me look up, a tremor that I recognise.

"Vince?" I ignore the vehement protests and sit up properly, so that I am facing him.

"Why did you do that?" He's avoiding my eyes again.

"Do what?"

"Rush into the water. Act foolishly and risk your life. _You could have died. _In fact, even with the encounter with that Tonberry earlier, you could have..."

"I taught _you _to fight. I practically raised you … for a year! You're not supposed to nag me!"

"Is there no way I can persuade you to sit out the Shinra mission?"

"You got that right, buddy."

"Please, Yuffie."

"No."

"I could make you."

"How? You gonna tie me up and hang me somewhere? Break my arms and legs?"

"Are you giving me ideas?"

"I'll crawl into the Shinra HQ if I have to, broken legs and all!"

"You're being childish."

"So are you!"

"I don't want to see you get hurt!" He's finally raised his voice.

"Well, you're so afraid of killing me anyway, why don't you let someone else do that job, then you won't need to angst all over it!" When these words leave my lips, I realise that I have said the wrong thing. His face instantly shuts down, replaced with the emotionless mask that I've been seeing too often. "Vince!" I say, grabbing onto his arms. "I didn't mean it. I really didn't. You know how I am with words sometimes."

He doesn't say anything, but he doesn't push me away either, which is good. I don't disgust him yet.

"Vince, I'm going to hug you now. But I warn you, I may throw up all over you." I throw my arms around him and pull him close.

"I'll carry you to the side before that happens." His arms come up and he's holding me tightly too.

"I'm not going to die. No one, not you, not Shinra, not fate, chance or luck, are going to get to me. I'm Kisaragi Yuffie, and I make my own destiny." Bold words, I know, but I'm young.

"You're not indestructible." His voice is muffled against my shoulder.

"I don't need to be. I just need to be fast."

"One day you won't be fast enough." The idiot is avoiding my gaze again. I'm getting _really _tired of this.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," says Cloud, who obviously isn't. "I need to speak to you. Yuffie first."

"Ugh," I reply. Someone else to nag me. "You really don't have to say anything, you know. Vince here is already doing a _great _job."

"You disobeyed explicit orders. If all three of us had been severely injured or killed by that monster, who would have led the prisoners out? You would have doomed all of them to a slow and painful death, after feeding them the hope of escape. Do you know what you almost did to them?"

"Really. Cloud. I can feel all sorts of things fighting to come out." I give a few dry heaves to illustrate my point. Cloud backs away a little, but his face is still stern.

"You're not going to be able to avoid this, Yuffie. When we get back, I'll have a discussion with AVALANCHE again, and collectively we will decide if you're fit for the Shinra infiltration mission."

"You are _not _going to leave me out of that!"

"Yuffie, we're not looking for a big damn hero to swoop in and save the day. Reckless actions like that simply endanger your life and the lives of the people around you. I was looking for responsibility, maturity and the ability to keep a cool head under desperate circumstances. I feel that you have not shown that."

"I can't sit back if Vince is in trouble."

"Even if it jeopardises the mission?"

"My mission is to find a cure for Vince. Get my hands on his super secret file, and maybe disembowel Hojo along the way, as a bonus." I know I'm being flippant, but the feelings that sent me forward earlier towards what I thought was certain death are still unsorted and scary in my head, so again, I resort to my facade.

"What we're going for is bigger than that." Cloud does not sound angry, just serious. "We are fighting for our planet's survival. You have to understand, and not only understand, but accept that."

"I know," I say, feeling all the energy leave me at once. I try to keep the trembling out of my voice as I keep talking, knowing that I'm getting dangerously close to tears. "You think I don't understand? I know that female-Nanaki that we have to save is mega important. I know I _have _to follow orders. I _know _all that, but as soon as I see Vince in danger, something inside me snaps, ok? I don't know if I can control it. I will try, but I can't guarantee it won't happen again."

Vince has been holding my shoulders gently, motionless the whole time, but now he speaks out.

"I too cannot promise to hold the rescue mission as the highest priority."

Cloud turns to glare at him. "I haven't gotten to you yet."

"If Yuffie is imperilled in any way, I will ensure her safety, or die trying."

"Vince!" I lift a hand to punch him weakly on the chest. "Stop talking about death. Mine or yours are now taboo subjects."

"Yuffie." Now he chooses to look at me.

"Are we really going to start this again, Vince? In front of Cloud?"

"If necessary," he replies.

Cloud lifts a hand to cover his eyes. "What am I going to do with the two of you?" he groans.

* * *

AN: Will the Shinra mission ever happen? Will this story ever end? WILL THERE BE ANY REAL ROMANCE UGH YOU STUPID WRITER?  
I know.

I am aware that Yuffie and Vince are bickering like small children. But you have to admit, they're still technically teenagers despite all they've been through, and after the stress and near death experiences, all that emotional tension has to be released somewhere.

If anyone thinks Yuffie is being childish, it's partly because she doesn't have to be the mature, responsible one anymore. She still _thinks _she does, but on a subconscious level, she's relaxing that, and seeing Vince more as an equal rather than a child she needs to protect. Might go more into this on my tumblr.

Your reviews make my day and keep me motivated to write! If you leave signed in reviews, I _will _reply! Please click that review button and share your thoughts with me!

Also, I will be making a massive edit of Y&B starting from chapter one, mostly to remove all the typos/grammatical errors that bother me every time I reread it to check that I'm keeping the story straight. :) I don't know how the follow notifications work, but I hope they don't spam you!


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